hornet's nest
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
The judges said when they directed the temple officials to produce complete files and records relating to the repair of the idols, "little did we realise, that we were in fact opening a hornet's nest".
From BBC • Nov. 4, 2025
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
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
From Roget's 21st Century Thesaurus, Third Edition Copyright © 2013 by the Philip Lief Group.
