# hot potato

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/hot-potato
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

An unwanted problem that is awkward or delicate.

## Examples

- This issue is a hot potato that no one wants to touch.
- The funding cuts became a political hot potato, with both parties trying to shift blame.
- The controversial policy, once championed by the minister, had become a hot potato that her successors hastily abandoned.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.