wedge issue

noun

: a political issue that divides a candidate's supporters or the members of a party

Examples of wedge issue in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Both parties have used immigration as a wedge issue rather than solving it. — Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 20 May 2026 As an emotional wedge issue, Israel is ideal for this trans-spectrum populism. — Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 22 May 2026 Instead of solving the problem, politicians use immigration as a wedge issue to divide us and rally their bases. — Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Oc Register, 5 May 2026 In Petro’s telling, right-wing politicians throughout the world have cynically used immigration as a wedge issue. — Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wedge issue

Word History

First Known Use

1982, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of wedge issue was in 1982

Rhymes for wedge issue

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Browse Nearby Words

wedge heel
wedge issue
wedge micrometer
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Cite this Entry

“Wedge issue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wedge%20issue. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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