burning question

1. An urgent or crucial issue under heated discussion. For example, Real estate taxes are always a burning question for the town leaders. This term has exact equivalents in French (question brûlante) and German (brennende Frage). [Mid-1800s]

Example Sentences

Roz hated to interrupt the walrus, but she had a burning question.

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Margaret Atwood unpacks the essays, speeches and appreciations in her deep and deeply entertaining new nonfiction collection, ‘Burning Question.’

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This may not answer the burning question of who will follow Gustavo Dudamel.

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The burning question in the men's singles is an obvious one - who can stop Sinner and Spanish second seed Carlos Alcaraz carving up another Grand Slam title between them?

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I will leave you with the answer to a burning question I had as I reported this piece: When a shrimp is contaminated with radioactive materials, does it glow?

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