short circuit

I could still hear the words, feel the numbness settle in, like a short circuit in my brain.

These batteries can produce extreme heat and fire if damage or manufacturing faults cause them to short circuit.

Local officials believe an electrical short circuit or another fault in a machine used to increase the level of oxygen in the ward sparked the fire.

Reflecting on his use of the internet, Burton said: "I get depressed very quickly, maybe more quickly than other people. But it doesn't take me much to start to click and start to short circuit."

Causing a short circuit in a battery to trigger thermal runaway and an explosion with a physical alteration is fairly straight-forward, Pecht said.