powder keg
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It was a powder keg waiting to blow.
From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026
I long recognized that the RSF was a powder keg.
From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 25, 2025
For Crudup, Timothy isn’t a bitter powder keg but a man looking for a little closure, someone who has made peace with the past until the moment he doesn’t get the apology he’s expecting.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 7, 2025
Dahlia Lithwick: I find the public-facing discourse around shootings to be impoverished, dangerous, and a powder keg on its own terms.
From Slate • Sep. 12, 2025
He had forgotten where he was—had worked problems on a powder keg.
From "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch" by Jean Lee Latham
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