Meaning of can of worms in English can of worms idiom informal Add to word list a situation that causes a lot of problems for you when you start to deal with it:

If you say that someone is opening a can of worms, you are warning them that they are planning to do or talk about something which is much more complicated, unpleasant, or difficult than they realize and …

Dec 15, 2025 · The meaning of CAN OF WORMS is pandora's box. How to use can of worms in a sentence.

(informal) if you open up a can of worms, you start doing something that will cause a lot of problems and be very difficult: I think if we start asking questions we’ll open up a whole new can of worms.

CAN OF WORMS definition: a source of many unpredictable or unexpected problems. See examples of can of worms used in a sentence.

Aug 30, 2025 · The phrase “can of worms” is an idiomatic expression used to describe a situation that, once opened or started, is complicated, messy, or difficult to manage.

Oct 17, 2025 · The idiomatic expression “can of worms” refers to a problem or situation that, once addressed or started, becomes complicated, messy, or difficult to tidy up.

To open a can of worms means to do something that will uncover more problems and make things more complicated and unsolvable than they already were; to create an unpleasant or troubling situation. 1, …

One such idiom is “can of worms,” which refers to a situation that appears simple on the surface but quickly becomes complicated and difficult to manage. The exact origin of this idiom is unclear, but it …

The idiom 'can of worms' is used to describe a complex, challenging, or controversial situation that, once initiated or addressed, leads to a cascade of unforeseen problems or complications.