land mine

noun

: a mine usually placed just below the surface of the ground and designed to be exploded usually by the weight of vehicles or troops passing over it
often used figuratively
Every aspect of this scheme is a potential land mine.Henry A. Kissinger
a political land mine

Examples of land mine in a Sentence

parents of teenagers never know when they might set off an emotional land mine
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The public saw and consumed her through these images: Diana sadly on a yacht with Dodi Fayed, Diana walking through a field with land mines, Diana in the backseat of a car in Paris. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 17 July 2024 Business looks at the state of things on the Hill and in presidential politics and sees more land mines than viable immigration reforms to rally around. Eli Hager, ProPublica, 25 Oct. 2024 Since January, Pyongyang has fortified its border defenses, laying land mines, building anti-tank traps and removing railway infrastructure, according to the South Korean military. Gawon Bae, CNN, 15 Oct. 2024 These could include, for example, seeing armed groups withdraw from populated areas, reopening state development projects, and curbing concrete abuses such as the planting of land mines. Elizabeth Dickinson, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for land mine 

Word History

First Known Use

1890, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of land mine was in 1890

Dictionary Entries Near land mine

Cite this Entry

“Land mine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/land%20mine. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

land mine

noun
: a mine placed just below the surface of the ground and designed to be exploded by the weight of the vehicles or troops passing over it
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!