powderkeg
Barrel holding black stuff
A powderkeg is literally a barrel for storing gunpowder—highly explosive if ignited.
The figurative sense dominates modern usage: a volatile situation that could erupt into violence or chaos at any moment.
The region has been a powderkeg since the disputed election.
Ethnic tensions turned the province into a powderkeg.
Also spelled powder keg.
Prone to sudden change
- volatileLiable to sudden change
- combustibleCapable of burning
- flammableProne to ignition
- reactiveTending to respond
tinderbox · flashpoint · hair-trigger · precarious · delicate · fragile · touchy · sensitive
Armed struggle between groups
- battlefieldCombat engagement area
- hostilitiesActive armed fighting
- uprisingOrganized resistance to power
- rebellionDefiance of established power
insurgency · revolution · unrest · strife · turmoil · flashpoint · hotspot · sectarian
Powerful blasting compound
- fuseProtective melting wire
- detonatorExplosive initiation device
- bombExplosive device or disaster
- nitroglycerinExplosive compound, cardiac drug
blasting · grenade · landmine · munitions · arsenal · magazine · stockpile · cache
Cooking below boiling point
- brewingBeverage preparation process
- buildingEnclosed roofed structure
- mountingSteadily increasing in degree
- escalatingIncreasing by degrees
on-edge · fraught · charged · pressure · strain · standoff · brinkmanship · confrontation
unstable
Prone to sudden change
- volatileLiable to sudden change
- combustibleCapable of burning
- flammableProne to ignition
reactive · tinderbox · flashpoint · hair-trigger · precarious · delicate · fragile · touchy · sensitive · incendiary
war
Armed struggle between groups
- battlefieldCombat engagement area
- hostilitiesActive armed fighting
- uprisingOrganized resistance to power
rebellion · insurgency · revolution · unrest · strife · turmoil · flashpoint · hotspot · sectarian · ethnic
dynamite
Powerful blasting compound
nitroglycerin · blasting · grenade · landmine · munitions · arsenal · magazine · stockpile · cache · ordnance
simmering
Cooking below boiling point
- brewingBeverage preparation process
- buildingEnclosed roofed structure
- mountingSteadily increasing in degree
escalating · on-edge · fraught · charged · pressure · strain · standoff · brinkmanship · confrontation · showdown
powderkegsafe harbor
Protected place for vessels
safe haven · sanctuary · haven · refuge · safety zone
powderkegpeace
Freedom from disturbance
calm · stability · tranquility · equilibrium · harmony