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Showing results for hornet's nest. Search instead for hornissennestern.
Definitions

hornet's nest

NOUN
trouble; hazard
Synonyms
STRONGEST
commotion difficulty hazard trouble
STRONG
difficult situation unpleasant situation
WEAK
botheration can of worms complication dilemma headache hitch hot water issue mess obstacle pickle point at issue predicament quandary scrape
hornets' nest
NOUN
problem
Synonyms
WEAK
botheration box can of worms complication count crunch dilemma disagreement dispute disputed point doubt headache hitch hot water issue mess obstacle pickle point at issue predicament quandary question scrape squeeze tr

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.

Curiously, I never really got angry at the North Koreans, on the assumption that if you kick the hornet’s nest and get stung, you can’t really blame the hornets.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026

They’re still no match for a guy who can wipe out a hornet’s nest with a stun gun.

From New York Times • Jan. 10, 2024

“It would be like kicking the hornet’s nest for the court to get into the merits of this,” Gerhardt said.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 21, 2023

They were trying to locate and destroy a hornet's nest after a positive identification nearby.

From BBC • Sep. 4, 2023

Howard Fuller’s use of the phrase Black Power—against this backdrop of contention and violence—stirred a hornet’s nest in both the white and black communities.

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson