powder keg
noun
1
: a small usually metal cask for holding gunpowder or blasting powder
2
: something liable to explode
Examples of powder keg in a Sentence
Political instability has made the region a powder keg.
the immigration bill has become a political powder keg for legislators on both sides of the aisle
Recent Examples on the Web
Joaquin Phoenix and Pedro Pascal star in the polarizing film, set in 2020 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as a sheriff and mayor who sparks a powder keg in their small town.
—
Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 20 July 2025
That sparks a powder keg as neighbors are pitted against each other in this New Mexico pueblo.
—Simon Thompson, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
The Kansas City Royals rolled into town sitting on a powder keg.
—Kansas City Star, 5 July 2025
They are being thrust involuntarily into a powder keg.
—State Rep. Matt Blumenthal, Hartford Courant, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for powder keg
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Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 20 July 2025
That sparks a powder keg as neighbors are pitted against each other in this New Mexico pueblo.
—Simon Thompson, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025
The Kansas City Royals rolled into town sitting on a powder keg.
—Kansas City Star, 5 July 2025
They are being thrust involuntarily into a powder keg.
—State Rep. Matt Blumenthal, Hartford Courant, 13 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for powder keg
Cite this Entry
“Powder keg.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/powder%20keg. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.
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