can of worms
Trouble best avoided
A can of worms is a situation or topic that, once addressed, reveals unexpected complications or problems.
The image is of bait worms released from a container—difficult to put back once out.
Opening a can of worms means initiating something messy: I asked about her family and opened a whole can of worms.
Often used as a warning: That's a can of worms you don't want to open.
Difficulty or distress
- problemsSituations needing resolution
- difficultiesProblems to overcome
- messDisorderly, troublesome condition
- chaosComplete disorder and confusion
issues · headaches · tangles · entanglements · quagmire · morass · predicament · dilemma
State of elaborate complexity
- complicationFactor that adds difficulty
- tangleTwisted mass of strands
- webInterwoven filament structure
- knotTied rope fastening
maze · labyrinth · layers · nuance · subtlety · convolution · ramifications · implications
State of being unsure
- surprisesUnanticipated occurrences
- wild cardUnpredictable factor in play
- loose endsUnresolved matters needing attention
- volatilityRapid, unpredictable changeability
instability · snowball effect · chain reaction · slippery slope · spiraling · escalation · unraveling · avalanche
trouble
Difficulty or distress
- problemsSituations needing resolution
- difficultiesProblems to overcome
- messDisorderly, troublesome condition
chaos · issues · headaches · tangles · entanglements · quagmire · morass · predicament · dilemma · pickle
intricacy
State of elaborate complexity
- complicationFactor that adds difficulty
- tangleTwisted mass of strands
- webInterwoven filament structure
knot · maze · labyrinth · layers · nuance · subtlety · convolution · ramifications · implications · ripple effects
uncertainty
State of being unsure
- surprisesUnanticipated occurrences
- wild cardUnpredictable factor in play
- loose endsUnresolved matters needing attention
volatility · instability · snowball effect · chain reaction · slippery slope · spiraling · escalation · unraveling · avalanche
debate
Formal argument on issues
backlash · fallout · firestorm · outrage · contention · disagreement · discord · friction · tension · conflict
- idiomstime flies, hit the sack, seize the day, ring a bell, break a leg
- chaos idiomsall hell breaks loose, pandemonium, madhouse, circus, bedlam
- disorderchaos, chaotic, disarray, mess, disordered
- predicamentspredicament, dilemma, bind, pickle, pinch
- messy situationsjunk drawer, rat's nest, pigsty, disaster zone, train wreck
can of wormsquick fix
Hasty temporary solution
no-brainer · cut-and-dried · easy fix · slam dunk · piece of cake
can of wormsnon-issue
Matter of no importance
nothing burger · tempest in a teapot · molehill · minor inconvenience · trifle
can of wormslet sleeping dogs lie
Avoid rekindling dormant issues
leave well enough alone · turn a blind eye · bury · shut the door · ignore
can, worm, canned, canning, worms, earthworm, wormy, wormed, worming