burning question

1. An urgent or crucial issue under heated discussion. For example, Real estate taxes are always a burning question for the town leaders. This term has exact equivalents in French (question brûlante) and German (brennende Frage). [Mid-1800s]

Example Sentences

This may not answer the burning question of who will follow Gustavo Dudamel.

From Los Angeles Times

The burning question in the men's singles is an obvious one - who can stop Sinner and Spanish second seed Carlos Alcaraz carving up another Grand Slam title between them?

From BBC

I will leave you with the answer to a burning question I had as I reported this piece: When a shrimp is contaminated with radioactive materials, does it glow?

From Slate

Mark also offers an update on the Supreme Court’s latest disastrous shadow docket decision — and he answers a burning question frequently posed by listeners.

From Slate

I think that leaves us with the burning question you and I are now asking every week: Are the justices really that naive and credulous?

From Slate