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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
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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
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Several Grokipedia pages that differ from Wikipedia's cover hot button issues.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
28 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The fiscal time bomb is enormous and growing, with Social Security accounting for 22% of federal spending and Medicare accounting for 14%.—
Steve H. Hanke,
Fortune,
11 June 2026
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Can people avoid the ticking HSA tax time bomb?—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
Noun
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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
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The entire country was a messianic powder keg.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
30 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The 2026 World Cup is shaping up to be a flash point moment in modern international relations, with the world coming to North America at a time when global peace appears delicate.—
Jackson Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Dec. 2025
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To add bike lanes, the city would need to remove parking, creating a flash point between bike safety and city connectivity on one hand and parking and accessibility on the other.—
Luis Melecio-Zambrano,
Mercury News,
5 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Third rail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/third%20rail. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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