minefield
/ˈmaɪnfiːld/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈmaɪnfiːld/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈmīn-ˌfēld/ (ame, mw)
minefield — noun
- minefieldsingular
- minefieldsplural
1. a stretch of ground or sea where hidden explosive devices have been placed so th
a stretch of ground or sea where hidden explosive devices have been placed so that one touch or step can set them off.
Engineers marked the minefield with red flags before the troops moved forward.
mark a minefield with warning flags
A fishing boat drifted into the minefield during the night storm.
The rescue team waited for specialists to clear the minefield near the bridge.
Children were warned never to cross the old minefield outside the abandoned camp.
Maps showed a minefield hidden beneath the shallow water by the harbor.
- danger zone
broader; any dangerous area, not specifically one planted with explosives
- booby-trapped area
similar idea of hidden explosives, but not limited to land mines in a mapped zone
- combat zone
a wider war area where fighting happens, not necessarily one laid with mines
- safe zone
an area officially treated as safe to enter
文法句型
a minefield
clear a minefield
cross a minefield
用法筆記
Usually refers to an actual area left with buried explosives. Common verbs are 'clear', 'mark', 'lay', and 'enter'. It can be on land or in shallow water near a coast or river.
2. a subject or situation where one careless move or remark can cause serious troub
a subject or situation where one careless move or remark can cause serious trouble because the dangers are not obvious at first.
After the scandal, every interview question about donations felt like a minefield.
figurative: one wrong answer can trigger trouble
Discussing inheritance at dinner became a minefield for Cyrus and his sisters.
For new managers, social media policy can be a minefield of hidden risks.
One careless joke turned the team meeting into a minefield of hurt feelings.
Questions about pay are a minefield when staff already distrust senior leaders.
- quagmire
a messy, hard-to-escape situation; less focused on one wrong step setting off trouble
- hot potato
a sensitive issue people avoid handling; narrower than minefield
- can of worms
an issue that creates many new problems once opened; more informal
- danger zone
broader and less specific; does not suggest hidden traps in conversation or policy
文法句型
be a minefield
a minefield for + person
a minefield of + plural noun
用法筆記
Often used for politics, family money, workplace rules, and other subjects where one small mistake can cause immediate trouble. Usually appears with verbs like 'be', 'become', or 'turn into', not with physical movement verbs.