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

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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 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 However, there are enough powder kegs and flying sparks around to turn all of this on its head. Clem Chambers, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026 About two million years ago, as sabertooth tigers and mastodons roamed the future United States, Yellowstone was a powder keg. Nidhi Sharma, Popular Science, 23 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for powder keg
Recent Examples of Synonyms for powder keg
volcano
Noun
  • Mount Rainier National Park, Washington Washington’s Mount Rainier National Park is named for the tallest volcano in the Cascade Range.
    Giovanna Caravetta, Travel + Leisure, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Earth’s moon—which also has the advantage of being 50 percent larger than Pluto and of having volcanoes that once spewed actual lava instead of mere water—fully deserves planethood by these very same metrics.
    Mike Brown, Scientific American, 24 Aug. 2026

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“Powder keg.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/powder%20keg. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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