Thesaurus results for POWDER KEG

powder keg

noun

as in volcano

a potentially explosive place or situation the immigration bill has become a political powder keg for legislators on both sides of the aisle

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of powder keg Or, perhaps even more likely, Iran devolves into a morass, a chaotic power struggle that destabilizes the entire powder keg of a region. —

The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026 There are several other emotional powder kegs that need one little spark, and those babies are going all the way off. —

Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2026 This lack of accountability creates a powder keg. —

Joshua Simmons, Sun Sentinel, 11 Feb. 2026 Nellie keeping things bottled up was a powder keg waiting to blow. —

Lizz Schumer, PEOPLE, 20 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for powder keg

Recent Examples of Synonyms for powder keg

volcano

Noun

The crown jewel here is the Chaîne des Puys, a chain of geologically young dormant volcanoes inactive for 10,000 years.

— Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 4 June 2026
France’s Massif Central rounds out the European picks with dormant volcanoes, deep river gorges and lush plateaus.

— Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 4 June 2026