whack-a-mole

noun2

1. •
   A situation where problems or tasks keep reappearing repeatedly.

   • Trying to get rid of spam e-mails is like whack-a-mole: as soon as you delete one, another appears.
2. •
   A strategy of addressing recurrent, unpredictable problems in a piecemeal, temporary way at their point of emergence.

   • "There's a range of different areas where AI can pose a risk, and we can't have a sort of - as I've previously said - a whack-a-mole approach," Mr Husic said. — 2026