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• hot-button
  hot-button

  adjective

  exciting strong feelings; highly charged; emotional.
• hot button
  hot button

hot-button

American  

[hot-buht-n] / ˈhɒtˈbʌt n /

adjective

1. exciting strong feelings; highly charged; emotional.

   hot-button issues.

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hot button British  

noun

1. informal

   1. a controversial subject or issue that is likely to arouse strong emotions

   2. ( as modifier )

      the hot-button issue of abortion

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Etymology

Origin of hot-button

First recorded in 1985–90

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hot-button hot button

I have a hunch that if you weren’t on opposing sides when it comes to paying off your mortgage, you would find another hot-button issue to disagree about.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026

Immigration has been a hot-button issue in Europe since 2015, when more than a million people, many fleeing war-torn Syria, entered the continent on foot.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026

The committee’s decision to hold back on council expansion and other hot-button issues came after the chief legislative analyst office recommended that the measures be studied further, with council expansion going before voters in 2028.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2026

Leo has made the hot-button issue a cornerstone of his papacy in dedicating to it his first encyclical -- a document which lays the basis for Church teaching and longer-term debate.

From Barron's ● May 25, 2026

Broken streetlights emerged as an hot-button issue in this year’s election, with council members scrambling to find ways to restore them.

From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 14, 2026

Instead of the large-studio presence, this year’s festival offered an intriguing mix of provocative films from around the globe, featuring hot button issues, occasional movie stars and artistic flourishes.

From The Wall Street Journal ● May 23, 2026

The hour-long debate also saw the two party leaders pressed on other hot button issues for Australia including housing and foreign policy, in particular Australia's relationship to the US.

From BBC ● Apr. 17, 2025

But while the show was, indeed, partly inspired by a hot button cultural moment, it’s not a fantasy one.

From New York Times ● Nov. 8, 2023

“Anyone who does political material is very brave. It’s a hot button thing. Brent is hitting it and hitting it. It riles people up and makes them watch. It’s a lot smarter than people think.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 18, 2023

Density is a hot button, to be sure.

From Seattle Times ● May 6, 2022

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