1
: a very flammable substance adaptable for use as kindling
2
: something that serves to incite or inflame
that rhetoric was ready tinder for revolution—
Margaret Peters
Margaret PetersExamples of tinder in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The revitalization of the Christian far right lit the tinder.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2025
The tinder for a revolutionary movement was there, requiring only the right spark.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 5 Aug. 2025
Mao Zedong, before his own revolution prevailed, described China as dry tinder awaiting a spark.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
With so much potential tinder in the standoff over immigration policy and executive power, the potential for a Flag Day firestorm this weekend is growing.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tinder
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Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2025
The tinder for a revolutionary movement was there, requiring only the right spark.
—Arash Azizi, The Atlantic, 5 Aug. 2025
Mao Zedong, before his own revolution prevailed, described China as dry tinder awaiting a spark.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025
With so much potential tinder in the standoff over immigration policy and executive power, the potential for a Flag Day firestorm this weekend is growing.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for tinder
Cite this Entry
“Tinder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tinder. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tinder
noun
tin·der
ˈtin-dər 
: a material that burns easily and can be used as kindling
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