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Recent Examples of third rail
The train’s cars spray a de-icing solution on the third rail while scraping off any accumulation.
—
Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 24 Jan. 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
Moving through the pandemic, higher ed touched the third rail (online teaching and learning) and surprisingly came away uninjured.
—David Rosowsky, Forbes.com, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for third rail
Evan Simko-Bednarski, New York Daily News, 24 Jan. 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
Moving through the pandemic, higher ed touched the third rail (online teaching and learning) and surprisingly came away uninjured.
—David Rosowsky, Forbes.com, 5 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for third rail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for third rail
Noun
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Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty Images Affordability has gone from being a dry financial term to an all-purpose hot button.—
Bob Woods,
CNBC,
29 Mar. 2026
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This contemporary, topical story touches on many current hot button issues while delighting audiences with memorable songs and explosive dances.—
Jennifer McRae,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Regulators and former employees call it one of the most notorious chameleon schemes — a ticking time bomb on our nation's roadways.—
Ashley Velie,
CBS News,
12 Apr. 2026
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Of course, their amity turned out to be a time bomb.—
Gary Baum,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Ferreira is the lone outsider, a friend of the youngest son, Johnny, who gets thrown into a powder keg of a holiday.—
Kate Erbland,
IndieWire,
15 Apr. 2026
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Lane takes his place among the best, his Willy Loman a powder keg of frustration and disappointment and deep, deep sadness.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The killing has become a flash point in a wider crackdown across the Persian Gulf.—
Elizabeth Robinson,
NBC news,
17 Apr. 2026
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The Salvadoran national’s case has become a flash point in immigration debates after he was mistakenly deported last year and forcibly brought back.—
Travis Loller,
Los Angeles Times,
8 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Third rail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/third%20rail. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.
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