powder keg

noun

Synonyms of powder kegnext
1
: a small usually metal cask for holding gunpowder or blasting powder
2
: something liable to explode

Synonyms of powder keg

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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
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Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
However, there are enough powder kegs and flying sparks around to turn all of this on its head. — Clem Chambers, Forbes.com, 19 May 2026 Ferreira is the lone outsider, a friend of the youngest son, Johnny, who gets thrown into a powder keg of a holiday. — Kate Erbland, IndieWire, 15 Apr. 2026 About two million years ago, as sabertooth tigers and mastodons roamed the future United States, Yellowstone was a powder keg. — Nidhi Sharma, Popular Science, 23 Apr. 2026 Or, perhaps even more likely, Iran devolves into a morass, a chaotic power struggle that destabilizes the entire powder keg of a region. — The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 1 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for powder keg

Word History

First Known Use

1791, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of powder keg was in 1791

Rhymes for powder keg

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Browse Nearby Words

powdering tub
powder keg
powderman
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Cite this Entry

“Powder keg.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/powder%20keg. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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