hot-button
adjective
exciting strong feelings; highly charged; emotional.
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hot-button
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hot button
hot button
hot-button
American
[hot-buht-n]
/ ˈhɒtˈbʌt n /
adjective
hot button
British
noun
Etymology
Origin of hot-button
First recorded in 1985–90
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
On the hot-button topic of the impact of artificial intelligence, he’s worried about it when combined with some troubling market mechanics.
From MarketWatch ● Feb. 18, 2026
Artificial-intelligence spending remains a hot-button issue on Wall Street.
From Barron's ● Dec. 1, 2025
Naturally, the couple segues into another disagreement, arguing about where to spend their upcoming vacation — a hot-button issue, since Joan’s cancer treatments are no longer working and time is suddenly precious.
From Salon ● Nov. 27, 2025
While some of that language must be required by an exhausted legal team behind the scenes, the long-running satirical cartoon is known for pressing hot-button topics and rapidly churning out searing parodies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2025
But the purchases became a hot-button issue in recent weeks.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 29, 2025
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 line is a bomb - a hot button thing that's really funny," says Martin Freeman, who stars alongside Lowden.
From BBC ● Oct. 27, 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
Karl Lagerfeld, who died in 2019, made headlines through the years for his irreverent and offensive takes on hot button issues, including the #MeToo movement and body positivity.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 1, 2023
Density is a hot button, to be sure.
From Seattle Times ● May 6, 2022
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
