hot button
noun
: an emotional and usually controversial issue or concern that triggers immediate intense reaction
Examples of hot button in a Sentence
The film is considered very controversial for all the hot buttons it pushes.
Recent Examples on the Web
Freedom of expression and issues of self-censorship were leitmotifs of this year’s Zurich Summit, with execs discussing attacks on cultural pluralism and as well as attitudes to hot button films.
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Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2025
And one of our roles is to put out a large volume of intellectually honest, unbiased polling data that will illustrate where the American people are on a range of hot button topics.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 19 Sep. 2025
That was a hot button topic for many years in the post 9/11 world, where a simple depiction of Muhammed could land an artist on the business end of a deadly fatwa.
—Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 30 Aug. 2025
That tagline really was a cultural hot button at a time when the second wave of feminism was sweeping the country.
—Valerie Monroe, Allure, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hot button
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Melanie Goodfellow, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2025
And one of our roles is to put out a large volume of intellectually honest, unbiased polling data that will illustrate where the American people are on a range of hot button topics.
—David Weigel, semafor.com, 19 Sep. 2025
That was a hot button topic for many years in the post 9/11 world, where a simple depiction of Muhammed could land an artist on the business end of a deadly fatwa.
—Chris Yogerst, HollywoodReporter, 30 Aug. 2025
That tagline really was a cultural hot button at a time when the second wave of feminism was sweeping the country.
—Valerie Monroe, Allure, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hot button
Cite this Entry
“Hot button.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hot%20button. Accessed 15 Oct. 2025.
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