political quagmire
1
8.1
- noun
- /pəˈlɪtɪkəl ˈkwæɡmaɪər/
- Literature
:
atolladero político
- The paragraph has already been output. This would be a most unpopular program, and the fighting over water could become a political quagmire.
Examples
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Prop 38 bypasses the California State General Fund and directly funds schools to avoid the political quagmire in Sacramento.
Blog text (7) -
This could only come, however, at the risk of a protracted conflict that could immerse the country in a political quagmire in the years ahead.
Academic text (1993) -
Apart from the political quagmire they are in, Israel is one of the most boring countries around.
Blog text (18) -
The commission dissolved into a political quagmire of corruption and even offers of vote selling.
Blog text (29) -
He does not want this to become a political quagmire.
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This would be a most unpopular program, and the fighting over water could become a political quagmire.
Blog text (25) -
The country is trapped in a political quagmire, with no clear solutions in sight.
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Efforts to reform the system have led to a political quagmire that frustrates leaders and citizens alike.
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Negotiations have stalled, creating a political quagmire that hinders progress on crucial issues.
Synonyms
∞
3.1
A very dangerous or difficult time when quick decisions are needed
25
7.9
A difficult situation that is hard to escape or solve
9
5.0
A confused, disorganized situation where things are not in order
7
5.1
A time when a country's government is unstable and many people protest
Antonyms
How Complicated
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is transparently built from 'political' (relating to politics) and 'quagmire' (a complicated, messy situation); together they straightforwardly mean a complicated political situation that is hard to resolve. Although 'quagmire' is metaphorical (originally a bog), the adjectival composition follows normal, cross-linguistic patterns, so a learner who knows both words will readily infer the MWE meaning.
Etymology
Political quagmire comes from the image of a deep, muddy quagmire where people or animals get stuck and cannot move. That's why when we use it about politics it means 'a complicated and difficult political situation that is hard to solve or escape'.