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
Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2024
Granted, two blips don’t make a trend, even in the hair-trigger world of contemporary Web journalism.
—Michael Cieply, Deadline, 1 July 2024
The Editors, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2023
Several Middle Eastern conflicts are only a hair trigger away from a major escalation.
—Joost Hiltermann, Foreign Affairs, 1 Aug. 2023
See all Example Sentences for hair-trigger 
Adjective
Meanwhile, Morrissey ordered more tests to determine whether Baldwin’s gun had a hair-trigger, as the defense team suggested.
—Meg James, Los Angeles Times, 13 July 2024
Granted, two blips don’t make a trend, even in the hair-trigger world of contemporary Web journalism.
—Michael Cieply, Deadline, 1 July 2024
Noun
At the center of the government's proposal is a $100-billion bid to fill 450 nuclear silos in five inland states with hundreds of new nuclear missiles set to launch on hair triggers.
—The Editors, Scientific American, 1 Dec. 2023
Several Middle Eastern conflicts are only a hair trigger away from a major escalation.
—Joost Hiltermann, Foreign Affairs, 1 Aug. 2023
See all Example Sentences for hair-trigger
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hair-trigger.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Hair-trigger.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hair-trigger. Accessed 26 Jul. 2024.
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