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 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 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 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
  • 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
  • Rather than jumping from one hot button report to the next, the prognosticators should confront the complexity of the industry and focus on the resilience and adaptiveness of the energy markets.
    — George Calhoun, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of hot button
Noun
  • During this same year, Chemours sued the other DuPont companies, claiming it had been handed a financial time bomb because of the PFAS liability it had been left with.
    — Susanne Rust Follow, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026
  • Malloy crisscrossed the state during his first few months in office, holding 17 town meetings to explain the fiscal ticking time bomb represented by unfunded pension obligations.
    — Keith M. Phaneuf, Hartford Courant, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of time bomb
Noun
  • 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
  • More recently, Washington backed Albania’s entry into NATO, in 2009, and has upheld its security in a historically volatile region that’s sometimes called the powder keg of Europe.
    — Isaac Stanley-Becker, The Atlantic, 23 July 2026
Definition of powder keg
Noun
  • The central role of tech platforms in determining who’s eligible has become a flash point, with unions and labor rights groups reporting widespread problems with access and eligibility.
    — Jacob Lederman, The Conversation, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Beyond soccer, the WNBA has never been more culturally significant, producing a deep roster of bona fide stars while becoming a recurring political flash point.
    — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 5 Aug. 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 12 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on third rail

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about third rail

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