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
Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026
His unfiltered personality and hair-trigger antics have stretched the limits of what a mascot can do — and get away with.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 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
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.
Adjective
Cramped passengers are ruled not by bonhomie but by hair-trigger aggression, while flight crews seek compliance rather than kinship.
—Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 12 June 2026
His unfiltered personality and hair-trigger antics have stretched the limits of what a mascot can do — and get away with.
—Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 28 Apr. 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 21 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
