Thesaurus.com
Dictionary.com
Showing results for can of worms. Search instead for can worm/3.
Definitions

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.

One of the theater’s more prominent sociopaths gets a makeover in “Hedda,” director Nia DaCosta’s reimagining of “Hedda Gabler,” with an approach that opens up the play—and an interpretive can of worms.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 28, 2025

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

But that opens up a further can of worms.

From BBC • Apr. 8, 2024

I pressed my mouth into a line, wondering if I’d opened a can of worms.

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows

From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.