third rail

noun

Definition of third railnext
as in hot button

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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 third rail That train also hit debris — potentially a loose section of the third rail, sources told The News. — Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 29 Apr. 2026 The substations’ main function is to convert raw, high-voltage electricity from the electrical grid into lower-voltage power that can be delivered to the third rail. — New York Times, 20 Apr. 2026 In early February, a Chow Chow named Meatball broke free from his owner at Bowling Green, fell onto the subway tracks, hit the third rail, and died. — Rachel Sugar, Curbed, 8 Apr. 2026 Someone needs to touch the third rail. — Dp Opinion, Denver Post, 23 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for third rail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for third rail
  1. hot button
  2. time bomb
  3. powder keg
  4. flash point
Noun
  • The conflict has also become a hot button topic at Venice, with activists calling on the festival to raise the Palestinian flag in recognition of the Palestinian directors in selection.
    — Nada Aboul Kheir, Deadline, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Grande’s health status has been a hot button topic over the past few years, with fans expressing concern about her physical appearance and speculating about her health.
    — Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of hot button
Noun
  • Blood streamed through his veins, pulsing inside him, like a ticking time bomb.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026
  • But the weapons also have a dark side that makes each a ticking time bomb for the people who wield them.
    — Jay Peters, The Verge, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of time bomb
Noun
  • Perhaps this is part of the problem with the powder keg that is the WNBA.
    — Patricia Babcock McGraw OutKick, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • After all, his previous four seasons spent coaching the Trojans had been nothing short of a powder keg, filled with ups and downs, as well as a constant undercurrent of tension and uncertainty.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 29 July 2026
Definition of powder keg
Noun
  • Littrell's beachfront property has become a flash point in the beach battles.
    — Debbie Elliott, NPR, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Thus, the film, both as a history lesson and as a flash point of current politics, takes on a great responsibility and a grave one.
    — Richard Brody, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of flash point

Browse Nearby Words

thin-skinned
third rail
third rails
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Cite this Entry

“Third rail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/third%20rail. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on third rail

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about third rail

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