hot button

noun

: an emotional and usually controversial issue or concern that triggers immediate intense reaction
hot-button adjective

Examples of hot button in a Sentence

The film is considered very controversial for all the hot buttons it pushes.
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.
French media chronology remains a hot button topic as global streamers have shaken up the landscape since their entry into the country. Diana Lodderhose, Deadline, 11 Feb. 2025 After this interview was conducted, Marvel producer Nate Moore threw cold water on that latter hot button topic. Nick Romano, EW.com, 6 Feb. 2025 Created by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield in 1978, the ice cream brand has long been known for speaking out on hot button issues, key among them climate change. Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 14 Feb. 2025 With Republicans currently controlling both houses of Congress by thin margins, significant legislative could certainly follow, but could still prove difficult on some hot button issues. Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 24 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for hot button

Word History

First Known Use

1966, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of hot button was in 1966

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Hot button.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hot%20button. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on hot button

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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