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Recent Examples of third rail
Dog Day Afternoon is the third rail of male love and loneliness—a primal scream from the sweltering streets of a stone broke New York City.
—
Jenny Lumet, Vanity Fair, 10 Feb. 2026
The dog was discovered on the tracks next to the third rail and was pronounced dead at the scene, NYPD told the outlets.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
Disregarding the out-of-joint 2021 Finals, which were bumped up to July by the pandemic, Saturday has been a third rail for the NBA for the better part of the last 45 years.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 20 Jan. 2026
An equipment problem Wednesday morning that curtailed power to BART’s electric third rail caused the closure of a portion of one of its travel lines for about 95 minutes, officials said.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for third rail
Jenny Lumet, Vanity Fair, 10 Feb. 2026
The dog was discovered on the tracks next to the third rail and was pronounced dead at the scene, NYPD told the outlets.
—Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 3 Feb. 2026
Disregarding the out-of-joint 2021 Finals, which were bumped up to July by the pandemic, Saturday has been a third rail for the NBA for the better part of the last 45 years.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 20 Jan. 2026
An equipment problem Wednesday morning that curtailed power to BART’s electric third rail caused the closure of a portion of one of its travel lines for about 95 minutes, officials said.
—Rick Hurd, Mercury News, 14 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for third rail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for third rail
Noun
-
But, more recently, he's stepped into the political ring, sharing his takes on hot button issues and even teasing the possibility of a presidential run.—
Derek Lawrence,
Entertainment Weekly,
28 May 2026
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In Florida, the construction of data centers has become a hot button issue, with state lawmakers passing a bill adding guardrails intended to protect residents from increases to their electric bills and risks to water supply.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Can people avoid the ticking HSA tax time bomb?—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
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That is a real fiscal time bomb that could set off generational warfare in Washington.—
Sun Sentinel Editorial Board,
Sun Sentinel,
8 May 2026
Noun
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However, internal conflict between the brash younger generation and the old-school leadership threatens to set a match to this powder keg, which will sweep the Westies into the FBI’s ever-deepening investigation into the Italian mafia.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
17 June 2026
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The scene isn’t just a powder keg of tension that leads to frenzied bedlam; its cynical depiction of human self-preservation is far more terrifying than any horror movie monster.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
Death is often a flash point for communal anger.—
Gabrielle Emanuel,
NPR,
29 May 2026
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That’s a huge flash point in American society, far beyond this play.—
Chris Jones,
Chicago Tribune,
26 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Third rail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/third%20rail. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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