Synonyms of powder keg

powder keg

noun

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

• volcano
• time bomb
• flash point
• third rail
• hot button
• tinderbox

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of powder keg

Of course, the wedding turns into a powder keg of secrets, and the orderly proceedings blow up in the protagonists’ faces and leave a trail of emotional and physical pain. — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 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

The Middle East, a global geopolitical issue since the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, and even more of a powder keg since the creation of Israel in 1948, is conflagrating once again. — Michael Khouw, CNBC, 5 Mar. 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