-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
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
Synonyms
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
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
Negotiators should aim to secure specific and verifiable commitments from armed groups to end practices such as recruiting children, planting land mines, and assassinating community leaders.
—Elizabeth Dickinson, Foreign Affairs, 1 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for land mine
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1890, in the meaning defined above
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 15 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share