quagmire
noun
quag·mire
ˈkwag-ˌmī(-ə)r 
ˈkwäg-
ˈkwäg-
plural quagmires
1
: soft miry land that shakes or yields under the foot
2
: a difficult, precarious, or entrapping position : predicament
Synonyms
Examples of quagmire in a Sentence
That was six months ago, when the Defense secretary laughingly dismissed the idea that Iraq was, or could turn into, a quagmire. But as Rumsfeld sat down last Friday morning to face Sen. John McCain, who spent six years in a Vietnamese prison, no one was laughing.
—
Michael Hirsh et al., Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2003
State involvement will create a vast bioethical quagmire. Even if everyone magically agrees that improving a child's memory is as valid as avoiding dyslexia, there will still be things taxpayers aren't ready to pay for—genes of unproven benefit, say, or alterations whose downsides may exceed the upside.
—Robert Wright, Time, 11 Jan.1999
the party was once again facing its quadrennial quagmire: the candidate sufficiently liberal to win the nomination would be too liberal for the general election
a protracted custody dispute that became a judicial quagmire
Michael Hirsh et al., Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2003
State involvement will create a vast bioethical quagmire. Even if everyone magically agrees that improving a child's memory is as valid as avoiding dyslexia, there will still be things taxpayers aren't ready to pay for—genes of unproven benefit, say, or alterations whose downsides may exceed the upside.
—Robert Wright, Time, 11 Jan.1999
the party was once again facing its quadrennial quagmire: the candidate sufficiently liberal to win the nomination would be too liberal for the general election
a protracted custody dispute that became a judicial quagmire
Recent Examples on the Web
In June, the hospitality units - which are partly floating on a rowing lake used for the 1976 Olympics - were flooded amid heavy rainfall, which also turned the VIP parking area into a quagmire.
—Dan Cancian, Forbes, 16 Aug. 2024
De Palma examined the quagmire of entertainment and politics, ambition and ethics and treachery in a world still haunted by the reality of political assassination yet hidden by propaganda and celebrity fever.
—Armond White, National Review, 14 Aug. 2024
The British economy is stuck in a quagmire of low growth.
—David Lammy, Foreign Affairs, 17 Apr. 2024
Nobody asks more patience of its fans than the Fins, who were last NFL champions when Richard Nixon was drowning in a quagmire called Watergate about a half century ago.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 22 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for quagmire 
Dan Cancian, Forbes, 16 Aug. 2024
De Palma examined the quagmire of entertainment and politics, ambition and ethics and treachery in a world still haunted by the reality of political assassination yet hidden by propaganda and celebrity fever.
—Armond White, National Review, 14 Aug. 2024
The British economy is stuck in a quagmire of low growth.
—David Lammy, Foreign Affairs, 17 Apr. 2024
Nobody asks more patience of its fans than the Fins, who were last NFL champions when Richard Nixon was drowning in a quagmire called Watergate about a half century ago.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 22 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for quagmire
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'quagmire.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Quagmire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quagmire. Accessed 16 Sep. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
quagmire
noun
quag·mire
ˈkwag-ˌmī(ə)r
ˈkwäg-
ˈkwäg-
1
: soft spongy wet ground that shakes or gives way under the foot
2
: a difficult situation from which it is hard to escape
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