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

Relevance

Example Sentences

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.

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

Its dark terrain is constantly changing due to lava flows from Kilauea or Mauna Loa – two of the most active volcanoes in the world, according to the National Park Service website.

— Alia Beard Rau, USA Today, 10 June 2026
Some of the world’s most dangerous volcanoes have not erupted in decades, while others erupt regularly and remain under constant surveillance.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 9 June 2026