hot button
noun
: an emotional and usually controversial issue or concern that triggers immediate intense reaction
hot-button
ˈhät-ˈbə-tᵊn 
adjective 
Example Sentences
The film is considered very controversial for all the hot buttons it pushes.
Recent Examples on the Web The question of what to do with the property has become a political hot button. 
Pam Mcloughlin, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2022 Demand for the vaccine has almost dried up, the question of whether to get a shot has become a political hot button, and West Virginia’s vaccination rate has plummeted to the lowest among the states. From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2021 Alabama’s GOP State Executive Committee gathered in Montgomery for its yearly summer meeting, addressing hot button issues like adoption, Roe v. Wade, parental rights and single-party support. Sarah Swetlik | Sswetlik@al.com, al, 13 Aug. 2022 What’s your advice for discussing a hot button issue with someone who clearly sees the world through a lens that’s different from yours? Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes, 9 Aug. 2022 Violent crime and theft in Los Angeles has become a hot button issue for state officials who seem largely unable to contain dangerous trends within the city. Fox News, 22 July 2022 Election integrity has become a hot button issue in Arizona, even though claims of widespread election fraud were dismissed in dozens of courtrooms in the state and around the country after the 2020 presidential election. Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 26 July 2022 San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is never one to shy away from touching on hot button issues and giving his own hot take about the state of the country. Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 25 July 2022 While the film is not a right-wing versus left-wing doc, guns, religion and the first amendment – all hot button political issues — are part of the film. Addie Morfoot, Variety, 26 Nov. 2021 See More
Pam Mcloughlin, Hartford Courant, 11 June 2022 Demand for the vaccine has almost dried up, the question of whether to get a shot has become a political hot button, and West Virginia’s vaccination rate has plummeted to the lowest among the states. From Usa Today Network And Wire Reports, USA TODAY, 1 Nov. 2021 Alabama’s GOP State Executive Committee gathered in Montgomery for its yearly summer meeting, addressing hot button issues like adoption, Roe v. Wade, parental rights and single-party support. Sarah Swetlik | Sswetlik@al.com, al, 13 Aug. 2022 What’s your advice for discussing a hot button issue with someone who clearly sees the world through a lens that’s different from yours? Rodger Dean Duncan, Forbes, 9 Aug. 2022 Violent crime and theft in Los Angeles has become a hot button issue for state officials who seem largely unable to contain dangerous trends within the city. Fox News, 22 July 2022 Election integrity has become a hot button issue in Arizona, even though claims of widespread election fraud were dismissed in dozens of courtrooms in the state and around the country after the 2020 presidential election. Sasha Hupka, The Arizona Republic, 26 July 2022 San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich is never one to shy away from touching on hot button issues and giving his own hot take about the state of the country. Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 25 July 2022 While the film is not a right-wing versus left-wing doc, guns, religion and the first amendment – all hot button political issues — are part of the film. Addie Morfoot, Variety, 26 Nov. 2021 See More Word History
First Known Use
1966, in the meaning defined above