can of worms

NOUN

complicated situation

Synonyms

WEAK

Gordian knot Pandora's box complex problem complexity complication difficult situation difficulty dog's breakfast entanglement hard nut to crack headache hornet's nest hot water mare's nest mess predicament problem quagmire quandary snafu snake pit snarl trouble troublesome problem unpredictable situation

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Because no matter how successful these ventures look from the outside, the truth is you take the lid off the can and inside it’s a can of worms.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 23, 2026

Mistakes, yes – but honest ones, only for the emergence of the Coote video to reopen a very large can of worms, presenting a crisis for Webb and PGMOL.

From BBC • Nov. 12, 2024

That’s a can of worms for future parasite research.

From Science Magazine • May 7, 2024

Could allowing people to sue for these kinds of mob-like statements open a proverbial can of worms?

From Salon • Apr. 14, 2024

It was a strange voice, deep and thick and sort of clotted, as though it had to fight its way through a can of worms before coming out.

From "Maniac Magee" by Jerry Spinelli

can of worms

Example Sentences

Related Words