third rail
noun
1
: a metal rail through which electric current is led to the motors of an electric vehicle (such as a subway car)
2
: a controversial issue usually avoided by politicians
Examples of third rail in a Sentence
Social Security is the third rail of American politics.
Recent Examples on the Web
Forcing or even just telling people to reduce their meat consumption for the sake of the planet is still something of a third rail.
—
Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 22 May 2024
That problem could possibly be addressed with redistricting, but that’s a third rail issue.
—Dean Minnich, Baltimore Sun, 10 Mar. 2024
But the department is best known for presiding over what some have called the third rail of American politics: the country’s immigration system, which was last reformed in 1990 and has been in a state of disrepair for decades.
—Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2024
Teacher pay, long a third rail of education policy, is finally having its moment.
—Talia Milgrom-Elcott, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for third rail 
Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 22 May 2024
That problem could possibly be addressed with redistricting, but that’s a third rail issue.
—Dean Minnich, Baltimore Sun, 10 Mar. 2024
But the department is best known for presiding over what some have called the third rail of American politics: the country’s immigration system, which was last reformed in 1990 and has been in a state of disrepair for decades.
—Jonathan Blitzer, The New Yorker, 17 Feb. 2024
Teacher pay, long a third rail of education policy, is finally having its moment.
—Talia Milgrom-Elcott, Forbes, 12 Feb. 2024
See all Example Sentences for third rail
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'third rail.' 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
“Third rail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/third%20rail. Accessed 8 Jun. 2024.
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