powder kegs

plural of powder keg
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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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 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for powder kegs
volcanoes
Noun
  • At the same time, states like Hawaii and Washington earned high scores for very different reasons, thanks to their volcanoes, towering peaks, and thousands of waterfalls.
    Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 18 Aug. 2026
  • However, beneath the park lies an enormous volcanic system capable of producing eruptions far larger than those associated with conventional volcanoes.
    Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026

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“Powder kegs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/powder%20kegs. Accessed 25 Aug. 2026.

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