How to Use can of worms in a Sentence

can of worms

noun phrase
  • Call this a can of worms carved open.
    — Patrick Boyland, New York Times, 10 June 2026
  • This would prevent the opening of a can of worms.
    — Eric Siegel, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
  • Is that a can of worms the NCAA is willing to open?
    — Payton Titus, Louisville Courier Journal, 15 Jan. 2026
  • But the movie not wanting to open that particular can of worms isn’t surprising — this is a film that thrives on bloodshed and thoughtlessness.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 30 Jan. 2026
  • The latter naturally reopens a can of worms, and Meredith and Whitney get into it again over what did or didn’t happen on that flight.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2025
  • The latter naturally reopens a can of worms, and Meredith and Whitney get into it again over what did or didn’t happen on that flight.
    — Tom Smyth, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2025
  • Across the book, movies, and 1990 miniseries, time travel has never been identified as one of Pennywise’s special skills, perhaps because that would open a pretty sizable can of worms.
    — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 15 Dec. 2025
  • On the flip side, though, casting a former reality show star — let alone a public-facing influencer, who has a domestic violence arrest (though she has been cleared of the charges) —​​ on a reality show could also open up a can of worms.
    — Kelsie Gibson, PEOPLE, 11 Sep. 2025
  • One question that seemed to dominate conversation on Sunday had nothing to do with the genre-scrambling film’s Oscar chances, but, rather, its categorization as a comedy in the first place, which is a whole other can of worms.
    — Alli Rosenbloom, CNN Money, 11 Jan. 2026
  • Very much like in Chinatown, Dahlia’s initial robbery eventually opens up a can of worms that exposes citywide corruption, including a scandal in which arson was used to clear slums for new real estate developments.
    — Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 4 Feb. 2026
  • This has prompted Drake’s legal team to request that UMG produce all documents related to Lamar’s children and any domestic violence allegations against him, which could open up an entirely new can of worms.
    — Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 3 Sep. 2019

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'can of worms.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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