as in volcanoes
a potentially explosive place or situation
the immigration bill has become a political powder keg for legislators on both sides of the aisle
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Recent Examples of powder kegs
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
Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 13 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for powder kegs
volcanoes
Noun
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The greatest concentration of mud volcanoes is found in Azerbaijan, Manga said.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA Today,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Nicaragua has 27 volcanoes, eight of which are active.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Powder kegs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/powder%20kegs. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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