can of worms
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can of worms
noun cans of worms
- A complex, troublesome situation, which produces (or whose resolution will produce) many problems. If someone gets a promotion that might not be deserved, it could open up a whole can of worms with the other employees.
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Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see can, worm.
Similar: kettle of fish, Pandora's box, tar baby
Translations
Every language
noun a complex, troublesome situation
| Español | melón colloquial; usu. preceded by the verb abrir, avispero, caja de los truenos |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | ゴチャゴチャした状態 gochagocha-shita jōtai, 困った事態 komatta jitai |
| 中文 | 棘手的問題 /棘手的问题 jíshǒu de wèntí |
| Français | sac de nœuds |
| Deutsch | Fass, Fass ohne Boden, Wespennest |
| Italiano | aprire il vaso di Pandora |
| Русский | клубо́к пробле́м klubók problém, весёленькая исто́рия vesjólenʹkaja istórija |
Talk about this word "can of worms." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/can%20of%20worms. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. can of worms. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/can%20of%20worms "can of worms." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/can%20of%20worms.Cite this
@misc{can_of_worms_2026,
title = {can of worms},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/can%20of%20worms},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
