short fuse
noun
: a tendency to get angry easily : a quick temper
… was seen as the bad guy, the one whose short fuse was scary, destructive and uncontrollable.—
Rick Telander
Rick Telander
short-fused
adjective
… a fiery and short-fused 30-year-old driver as well known for tantrums and bad behavior as he is for being the best rookie in history …
—The New York Times
The New York Times
Examples of short fuse in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The series will see the two Emmy-winning kitchen gurus guiding 12 chefs with ego issues or short fuses through culinary challenges that will put their personal and emotional issues to the test.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 13 Feb. 2025
Amorim is a more experienced manager than five years ago but deep down, as with many managers, there is a short fuse that can be ignited.
—Charlotte Harpur, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025
Failing to do so risks upsetting a leader with a short fuse and the power to sink a company’s stock or ignite a boycott with a single social media post.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 4 Dec. 2024
Sofia doesn’t take kindly to this revelation, exhibiting the short fuse that lights up real quick whenever a cornered man is trying to feed her a story to save his own ass.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for short fuse
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.
Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 13 Feb. 2025
Amorim is a more experienced manager than five years ago but deep down, as with many managers, there is a short fuse that can be ignited.
—Charlotte Harpur, The Athletic, 24 Jan. 2025
Failing to do so risks upsetting a leader with a short fuse and the power to sink a company’s stock or ignite a boycott with a single social media post.
—Allison Morrow, CNN, 4 Dec. 2024
Sofia doesn’t take kindly to this revelation, exhibiting the short fuse that lights up real quick whenever a cornered man is trying to feed her a story to save his own ass.
—Andy Andersen, Vulture, 20 Oct. 2024
See All Example Sentences for short fuse
Cite this Entry
“Short fuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/short%20fuse. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share