third rail

Definition of third railnext

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 The conflict in Gaza is an obvious third rail in Hollywood right now. Zak Cheney-Rice, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2025 Avon is rebooting its third rail—expanding into e-commerce, retail, digital and other platforms, to form a new crucial pillar of its global omnichannel strategy. Dean Debiase, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2025 The third rail line project was completed on July 15, with the new track able to be used by Union Pacific and Metra trains, a Union Pacific spokesperson told The Beacon-News on Friday. Molly Morrow, Chicago Tribune, 15 Aug. 2025 The Music City Loop won't pose electrical risks like a subway's third rail, the company said. Stuart Dyos, The Tennessean, 12 Aug. 2025 See All Example Sentences for third rail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for third rail
Noun
  • One hot button issue — politics — is less likely to be discussed at holiday gatherings.
    Jennifer De Pinto, CBS News, 24 Dec. 2025
  • At a time when Americans remain divided over hot button issues like artificial intelligence and policing, some say new technology is helping officers break down barriers and connect with their communities.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 30 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Directed by Moses from a screenplay he co-wrote with Federico Sargentone and Katja Horvat, the film follows protagonist Ham, who wakes up with a time bomb on his chest.
    Zac Ntim, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2025
  • Ray’s most chaotic photograms—jumbles that push out of the frame or look like time bombs ready to explode—find echoes in his films, projected on the back walls, a show in themselves.
    Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 3 Oct. 2025
Noun
  • In the update, Cumberbatch and Colman play a seemingly perfect husband and wife with the perfect family, but underneath the façade is a powder keg of resentment and fierce competition that eventually blows.
    Patrick Hipes, Deadline, 29 Oct. 2025
  • The entire country was a messianic powder keg.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Harris said that dynamic reflects how education has become a flash point for national politics.
    Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 7 Nov. 2025
  • The already tense relations between Condé Nast and the union representing many of its editorial workers hit a new flash point this week.
    Todd Spangler, Variety, 6 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Third rail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/third%20rail. Accessed 10 Jan. 2026.

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