hot potato
noun
: a controversial question or issue that involves unpleasant or dangerous consequences for anyone dealing with it
Examples of hot potato in a Sentence
He tried to avoid taking a strong stand on political hot potatoes like abortion.
Recent Examples on the Web
Greece and Turkey, which for hundreds of years had been steeped in mutual acrimony and territorial disputes, were now willingly ceding land to each other in a game of geopolitical hot potato.
—
Lauren Markham, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
As his goofy face is soon detached from the rest of his body and tossed around the room like a hot potato, blood spraying in all directions, the class is left traumatized and Mr. Bunting’s dismissal suddenly starts to feel slightly warranted.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 11 Feb. 2025
The study has been a political hot potato for years, and city leaders will soon face the question of how to distribute the department’s limited number of police officers in an effective way that satisfies the city’s array of constituencies — and legal obligations.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2025
The political game of hot potato, where no one wants to be seen as responsible for banning TikTok, suggests that the app may not be gone for good.
—Richard Lawler, The Verge, 18 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hot potato
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Lauren Markham, Harper's Magazine, 19 Feb. 2025
As his goofy face is soon detached from the rest of his body and tossed around the room like a hot potato, blood spraying in all directions, the class is left traumatized and Mr. Bunting’s dismissal suddenly starts to feel slightly warranted.
—Harrison Richlin, IndieWire, 11 Feb. 2025
The study has been a political hot potato for years, and city leaders will soon face the question of how to distribute the department’s limited number of police officers in an effective way that satisfies the city’s array of constituencies — and legal obligations.
—Sam Charles, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2025
The political game of hot potato, where no one wants to be seen as responsible for banning TikTok, suggests that the app may not be gone for good.
—Richard Lawler, The Verge, 18 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for hot potato
Cite this Entry
“Hot potato.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hot%20potato. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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