hot button
noun
: an emotional and usually controversial issue or concern that triggers immediate intense reaction
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
The 14-time Grammy winner’s air travel have been a hot button issue as of late.
—
Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2024
Those restrictions opened up space for political action committees (PACs), which could rake in big money from small-dollar donors motivated to give by sensationalist direct mail focused on hot button cultural issues.
—Daniel Schlozman & Sam Rosenfeld / Made By History, TIME, 10 June 2024
That was then, though, a time before immigration policy became a political hot button, subject to loud debates but little practical action to fix the citizenship process, which one immigration expert says is restrictive and complicated.
—Maya Lora, Baltimore Sun, 6 Apr. 2024
In Kentucky, transgender identities became a hot button issue in the governor's rare: Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear bested Republican Kelly Craft in the deep red state.
—Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 17 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hot button 
Karu F. Daniels, New York Daily News, 7 Feb. 2024
Those restrictions opened up space for political action committees (PACs), which could rake in big money from small-dollar donors motivated to give by sensationalist direct mail focused on hot button cultural issues.
—Daniel Schlozman & Sam Rosenfeld / Made By History, TIME, 10 June 2024
That was then, though, a time before immigration policy became a political hot button, subject to loud debates but little practical action to fix the citizenship process, which one immigration expert says is restrictive and complicated.
—Maya Lora, Baltimore Sun, 6 Apr. 2024
In Kentucky, transgender identities became a hot button issue in the governor's rare: Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear bested Republican Kelly Craft in the deep red state.
—Kiara Alfonseca, ABC News, 17 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for hot button
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hot button.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Hot button.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hot%20button. Accessed 4 Jul. 2024.
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