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Recent Examples of third rail
Changes to Medicaid have proven contentious, and Medicare is often considered a political third rail.
—
Joseph Choi, The Hill, 5 June 2025
Centering African-American stories and characters, DuVernay’s films frequently come into contact with the third rails of American history, such as incarceration, segregation and slavery.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 May 2025
Social Security is the third rail of American politics
Social Security advocates say Trump and Musk, the tech billionaire, are learning a lesson absorbed by many politicians and policy wonks before them.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2025
But that doesn’t make the subject any less the third rail for nearly everybody in the SNL orbit.
—Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for third rail
Joseph Choi, The Hill, 5 June 2025
Centering African-American stories and characters, DuVernay’s films frequently come into contact with the third rails of American history, such as incarceration, segregation and slavery.
—Eli Wizevich, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 May 2025
Social Security is the third rail of American politics
Social Security advocates say Trump and Musk, the tech billionaire, are learning a lesson absorbed by many politicians and policy wonks before them.
—Daniel De Visé, USA Today, 31 Mar. 2025
But that doesn’t make the subject any less the third rail for nearly everybody in the SNL orbit.
—Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 16 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for third rail
Recent Examples of Synonyms for third rail
Noun
-
Several hot button political issues are likely to drive the debate over spending as the spring legislative session goes on.—
Addison Wright,
Chicago Tribune,
18 Feb. 2025
-
The region has been a hot button political issue in both countries.—
Evan Clark,
WWD,
16 Jan. 2025
Noun
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The combination of financial illiteracy and problematic money management leads many to be unaware of the ticking time bombs which underlie their financial circumstances.—
Hersh Shefrin,
Forbes.com,
6 July 2025
-
The time bomb is ticking—and consumers should begin bracing for the explosion.—
Nicholas Creel,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
Noun
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Eddington, Ari Aster’s latest, is a nouveau western, which follows the clash between a small-town Sheriff in New Mexico (Phoenix) and a mayor (Pascal) during Covid when powder keg socio-political issues were ramping up during the first President Donald Trump term.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
3 July 2025
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The rift between Carlson and Cruz demonstrates that even among President Trump’s biggest supporters, there’s been considerable debate about how the U.S. should deal with the powder keg situation that escalated Friday when Israel launched airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear and military facilities.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
18 June 2025
Noun
-
These minerals, key to electronic components and batteries, have become a new flash point in trade relations.—
Brit Morse,
Fortune,
9 July 2025
-
Abrego Garcia became a flash point over President Trump’s immigration policies when he was deported in March to a notorious megaprison in El Salvador.—
Michael Kunzelman,
Los Angeles Times,
7 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Third rail.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/third%20rail. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.
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