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

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Venezuela has become both a byword for failure and, curiously, something of an ideological hot potato, a rhetorical device dropped into political conversations around the world. —

Moisés Naím, Foreign Affairs, 27 Jan. 2020 People who were at the party told Queen Creek police, according to a police report, that Turner first yanked a chain from Lord's friend and used it to play hot potato with other Goons. —

Elena Santa Cruz, The Arizona Republic, 7 Oct. 2024 Gaza has been a hot potato on the campaign trail, and this is a conflict that the winning party will inherit. —

Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 1 Oct. 2024 Popular on Variety That frankness may make the film something of a hot potato for distributors, and has duly drawn protests from Spanish animal-rights groups ahead of its world premiere in competition at the San Sebastián Film Festival. —

Guy Lodge, Variety, 28 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for hot potato