wedge issue

noun

: a political issue that divides a candidate's supporters or the members of a party

Examples of wedge issue in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In Petro’s telling, right-wing politicians throughout the world have cynically used immigration as a wedge issue. Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2026 The most significant wedge issue going into Thursday remains the battle over stablecoin yields. Leo Schwartz, Fortune, 14 Jan. 2026 This is a wedge issue that Democrats have identified because it is not cohered on the MAGA side. CBS News, 28 Dec. 2025 The demographic offers Bennett a wedge issue that could break Netanyahu’s coalition apart: conscription. Aluf Benn, Foreign Affairs, 10 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for wedge issue

Word History

First Known Use

1982, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wedge issue was in 1982

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Cite this Entry

“Wedge issue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wedge%20issue. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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