time bomb

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Explanation of "Time Bomb"

Definition:
A "time bomb" is a noun that refers to two main ideas:

Usage Instructions

• Use "time bomb" when talking about both real explosives and metaphorically to describe serious problems.
• It is often used in discussions about safety, security, or social issues.

Examples

1. Literal: "The police found a time bomb in the abandoned building."
2. Figurative: "The city's traffic problems are a time bomb; if we don’t find a solution soon, it will get much worse."

Advanced Usage

In advanced discussions, "time bomb" can be used in various contexts such as politics, economics, and social issues. For example: - "The country is facing a demographic time bomb, with an aging population and a declining birth rate."

Word Variants

• Time Bombing (verb): The act of setting a bomb to explode at a certain time.
• Ticking Time Bomb (phrase): A situation that is becoming urgent and needs immediate attention.

Different Meanings

• Ticking Bomb: Often used interchangeably with "time bomb," emphasizing the urgency as it approaches the time to explode.

Synonyms

• Explosive Device (for the literal meaning)
• Imminent Crisis (for the figurative meaning)
• Crisis Waiting to Happen (another figurative expression)

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs

• "Ticking time bomb": This is an idiom that emphasizes urgency and the potential for an explosion (either literal or metaphorical).
• "To defuse a situation": This phrase means to make a tense or dangerous situation less serious, similar to safely disarming a bomb.

Summary

"Time bomb" can refer to both a physical explosive and a problematic situation that could escalate if not addressed.

Academic

Noun

1. a bomb that has a detonating mechanism that can be set to go off at a particular time
2. a problematic situation that will eventually become dangerous if not addressed
   • India is a demographic time bomb
   • the refugee camp is a ticking bomb waiting to go off

Synonyms

• infernal machine
• ticking bomb