powder keg

Definition of powder kegnext
as in volcano
a potentially explosive place or situation the immigration bill has become a political powder keg for legislators on both sides of the aisle

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of powder keg More recently, Washington backed Albania’s entry into NATO, in 2009, and has upheld its security in a historically volatile region that’s sometimes called the powder keg of Europe. — Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Atlantic, 23 July 2026 Sources additionally say that officers have burnt out while working overtime month after month — all on top of functioning in an already tense and dangerous environment, likening the situation to a powder keg ready to blow. — Anna Giaritelli, The Washington Examiner, 19 July 2026 However, internal conflict between the brash younger generation and the old-school leadership threatens to set a match to this powder keg, which will sweep the Westies into the FBI’s ever-deepening investigation into the Italian mafia. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 17 June 2026 The scene isn’t just a powder keg of tension that leads to frenzied bedlam; its cynical depiction of human self-preservation is far more terrifying than any horror movie monster. — Brianna Zigler, Entertainment Weekly, 15 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for powder keg
Recent Examples of Synonyms for powder keg
volcano
Noun
  • To go in a mine, to go on top of a semi-active volcano, to go on a Bulgarian river with a drunk boat captain.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 16 Oct. 2026
  • An important hazard is also associated with the glaciers on the steep-sided volcanoes of the Cascade Range, which stretches from California to Washington.
    — Andrew Fountain, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Powder keg.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/powder%20keg. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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