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.

He has described the record as a "powder keg", as "burning diesel", and even a spicy "jambalaya" – and it's certainly harder and faster than anything the band have released over the past decade.

From BBC • Apr. 21, 2026

It was a powder keg waiting to blow.

From Barron's • Mar. 5, 2026

In 1768 King George III filled Boston with armed troops, creating a powder keg; in two years the spark of a single rifle shot would explode the Boston Massacre.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 27, 2026

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

Claudette had lit the fuse to a powder keg of protest, but her rebellion had caught black Montgomery by surprise.

From "Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice" by Phillip Hoose