wedge issue

noun

1. an issue that divides or causes conflict in an otherwise unified group.

   Abortion is a wedge issue for the Republican Party.

wedge issue

noun

1. an issue that is likely to cause division between the members of a group

Word History and Origins

Origin of wedge issue¹

First recorded in 1990–95

Example Sentences

Alliance might try to stay in the middle but it has had to choose sides in some of those divisive "wedge issue" debates.

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In the campaign ahead, Jenkins indicated that she planned to leverage Moody’s support for the state’s unpopular decision to drop school vaccine mandates as a wedge issue.

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This is not because doing so would be illegal but because—as evidenced by his eagerness to make many, many statements on the man—the president sees Mamdani’s existence as a wedge issue for Democrats.

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“It’s their wedge issue. It’s their emotional issue,” Valladares said of Democrats.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

After spending billions the last two offseasons, the Dodgers and their hefty spending highlighted a wedge issue around baseball in the run-up to next year’s CBA talks.

Read more on Los Angeles Times