hot seat

noun

1
slang : electric chair
2
: a position of uneasiness, embarrassment, or anxiety

Examples of hot seat in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Instead, South Carolina (2-3), who will play in The Swamp, is experiencing a hot seat of its own. — Noah White, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026 Just two years later and the Sun Devils now sit at 2-2 with an anemic offense, fresh off a beatdown at the hands of Baylor, a team currently employing a coach who was on a ridiculously hot seat himself just a month earlier. — Austin Perry Outkick, FOXNews.com, 6 Oct. 2026 As the 2026 regular season nears an end and questions around hot seats continue, the idea could continue to be a hot topic into the offseason. — Chad Jennings, New York Times, 10 Sep. 2026 Today will be a hot seat to come by, with closing arguments and a potential verdict expected. — Sumiko Corley, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for hot seat

Word History

First Known Use

1925, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of hot seat was in 1925

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Cite this Entry

“Hot seat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hot%20seat. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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