quagmire
noun
quag·mire
ˈkwag-ˌmī(-ə)r 
ˈkwäg-
ˈkwäg-
plural quagmires
1
: soft miry land that shakes or yields under the foot
2
: a difficult, precarious, or entrapping position : predicament
Synonyms
Examples of quagmire in a Sentence
That was six months ago, when the Defense secretary laughingly dismissed the idea that Iraq was, or could turn into, a quagmire. But as Rumsfeld sat down last Friday morning to face Sen. John McCain, who spent six years in a Vietnamese prison, no one was laughing.
—
Michael Hirsh et al., Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2003
State involvement will create a vast bioethical quagmire. Even if everyone magically agrees that improving a child's memory is as valid as avoiding dyslexia, there will still be things taxpayers aren't ready to pay for—genes of unproven benefit, say, or alterations whose downsides may exceed the upside.
—Robert Wright, Time, 11 Jan.1999
the party was once again facing its quadrennial quagmire: the candidate sufficiently liberal to win the nomination would be too liberal for the general election
a protracted custody dispute that became a judicial quagmire
Michael Hirsh et al., Newsweek, 17 Nov. 2003
State involvement will create a vast bioethical quagmire. Even if everyone magically agrees that improving a child's memory is as valid as avoiding dyslexia, there will still be things taxpayers aren't ready to pay for—genes of unproven benefit, say, or alterations whose downsides may exceed the upside.
—Robert Wright, Time, 11 Jan.1999
the party was once again facing its quadrennial quagmire: the candidate sufficiently liberal to win the nomination would be too liberal for the general election
a protracted custody dispute that became a judicial quagmire
Recent Examples on the Web
The nadir came during an interview with NBC’s Lester Holt, in response to a question about the constant quagmire at the U.S. southern border—an area in which Harris had notionally been given power by Biden, but manifestly no actual agency.
—Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2024
Israel has sunk ever deeper into the Gaza quagmire, neglecting to elucidate the regional and global contexts of the conflict.
—Ari Shavit, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2024
And so, knowing when to stop is going to be key to this not becoming a quagmire for Israel.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 1 Oct. 2024
But in the summer, under the warmth of 24-hour sunshine, the top foot or two of soil melted, creating an impassable quagmire for people and vehicles.
—Paul Bierman, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for quagmire 
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Vinson Cunningham, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2024
Israel has sunk ever deeper into the Gaza quagmire, neglecting to elucidate the regional and global contexts of the conflict.
—Ari Shavit, Foreign Affairs, 5 Oct. 2024
And so, knowing when to stop is going to be key to this not becoming a quagmire for Israel.
—Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, 1 Oct. 2024
But in the summer, under the warmth of 24-hour sunshine, the top foot or two of soil melted, creating an impassable quagmire for people and vehicles.
—Paul Bierman, Smithsonian Magazine, 19 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for quagmire
Articles Related to quagmire
Dictionary Entries Near quagmire
Cite this Entry
“Quagmire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quagmire. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
quagmire
noun
quag·mire
ˈkwag-ˌmī(ə)r
ˈkwäg-
ˈkwäg-
1
: soft spongy wet ground that shakes or gives way under the foot
2
: a difficult situation from which it is hard to escape
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