hair-trig·ger
ˈher-ˌtri-gər 
1
: immediately responsive to the slightest stimulus
a hair-trigger temper
2
: delicately adjusted or easily disrupted
: a gun trigger so adjusted as to permit the firearm to be fired by a very slight pressure
Examples of hair-trigger in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2026
The movie had moments of discordant comedy, but Sidney Lumet staged it in his hair-trigger fluorescent vérité style.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 31 Mar. 2026
Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2026
Wall Street, however, has in many ways moved on from the initial weeks spent on a perpetual hair trigger.
—Phil Mattingly, CNN Money, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hair-trigger
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Adjective
This is a man who shows up at a bank with two dubious associates — the glowering, hair-trigger Sal (Moss-Bachrach) and, until his stomach gives out, the wobbling hot mess Ray-Ray (Christopher Sears) — and a bunch of guns.
—Sara Holdren, Vulture, 31 Mar. 2026
The movie had moments of discordant comedy, but Sidney Lumet staged it in his hair-trigger fluorescent vérité style.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 31 Mar. 2026
Noun
Today, nine nations possess nuclear arsenals, comprising more than 12,000 warheads in total, including many that are set on a virtual hair trigger.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 11 Mar. 2026
Wall Street, however, has in many ways moved on from the initial weeks spent on a perpetual hair trigger.
—Phil Mattingly, CNN Money, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for hair-trigger
Cite this Entry
“Hair-trigger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hair-trigger. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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