SINCE 1828
hot button
nounDefinition of hot button
: an emotional and usually controversial issue or concern that triggers immediate intense reaction
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Other Words from hot button
hot-button
\ ˈhät-ˈbə-tᵊn 
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adjective
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adjective
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
At the moment, neither party can agree on how to repair America's crumbling infrastructure or what to do about the hot button issue of climate change. — Michael Granberry, Dallas News, "Dallas author warns about Apollo 11 moon landing hoax theories, but says we can and will go back," 16 July 2019 At the moment, neither party can agree on how to repair America's crumbling infrastructure or what to do about the hot button issue of climate change. — Michael Granberry, Dallas News, "Dallas author warns about Apollo 11 moon landing hoax theories, but says we can and will go back," 16 July 2019 At the moment, neither party can agree on how to repair America's crumbling infrastructure or what to do about the hot button issue of climate change. — Michael Granberry, Dallas News, "Dallas author warns about Apollo 11 moon landing hoax theories, but says we can and will go back," 16 July 2019 At the moment, neither party can agree on how to repair America's crumbling infrastructure or what to do about the hot button issue of climate change. — Michael Granberry, Dallas News, "Some people say it never happened, but this Dallas author says we can and will return to the moon," 3 July 2019 That legislation was shelved but the issue has become such a hot button topic in Hong Kong that -- despite promising to do so -- no governments since have attempted to introduce it. — James Griffiths, CNN, "Mass protest in Hong Kong over law critics fear could allow China to snatch anyone," 8 June 2019 The same was true for another hot button case about Ohio's method for purging voters from its rolls. — CNN, "Trump's originalist, Neil Gorsuch, finds his place," 7 Apr. 2018 Companies are increasingly voicing opinions or tying their marketing to hot button issues. — Suzanne Vranica, WSJ, "Consumers Believe Brands Can Help Solve Societal Ills," 2 Oct. 2018 Some of the most divisive ads capitalized on the political movement Black Lives Matter and hot button political issues including immigration, gun control, the religion of Islam, and LGBT-centric topics. — NBC News, "Sean Hannity, Black Lives Matter among targets of Russian influence campaign, disclosures show," 10 May 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'hot button.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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