mire

4 definitions • 3 examples

an area of deep, wet, sticky earth

an unpleasant situation that is difficult to escape:

We must not be drawn into the mire of civil war.

an area of deep, wet, sticky earth, or fig. any messy situation:

The cart’s wheels sank in the red mire.

to cause something to sink in deep, wet, sticky earth, or fig. to cause someone or an activity to become trapped in a difficult situation:

fig. At the time the country was mired in the Great Depression.