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

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

On Monday morning, Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche described the situation as a "powder keg".

From BBC • Jan. 26, 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

In other words, it was a black powder keg.

From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey