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
The Times reported that if Lynskey or his clothes had touched the third rail, which runs outside the track and electrifies the subway, chances are he would've been electrocuted.
—
Becca Longmire, People.com, 4 Feb. 2025
In the health insurance realm, for example, the Affordable Care Act provides subsidized health insurance for many Americans, and changing Medicare is a political third rail.
—Jay Feinman, The Conversation, 15 Jan. 2025
For four years, the Biden administration considered trade deals to be off limits, a political third rail.
—Elizabeth Economy, Foreign Affairs, 14 Jan. 2025
All their lives were at risk because if Mr. Lynskey touched the third rail while the rescuers were touching him, they all could be electrocuted.
—Katherine Rosman, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for third rail 
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Becca Longmire, People.com, 4 Feb. 2025
In the health insurance realm, for example, the Affordable Care Act provides subsidized health insurance for many Americans, and changing Medicare is a political third rail.
—Jay Feinman, The Conversation, 15 Jan. 2025
For four years, the Biden administration considered trade deals to be off limits, a political third rail.
—Elizabeth Economy, Foreign Affairs, 14 Jan. 2025
All their lives were at risk because if Mr. Lynskey touched the third rail while the rescuers were touching him, they all could be electrocuted.
—Katherine Rosman, New York Times, 24 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for third rail
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Cite this Entry
“Third rail.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/third%20rail. Accessed 16 Feb. 2025.
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