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 Lee Fire is burning through tinder-dry piñon-juniper stands, at times creating dangerous conditions for firefighters trying to protect homes and other infrastructure.
—Kirk Siegler, NPR, 10 Aug. 2025
At the same time, weather whiplash from climate change is also providing more tinder-dry fuels for the blazes to engulf.
—Brandon Miller, CNN Money, 8 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
See All Example Sentences for tinder
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Kirk Siegler, NPR, 10 Aug. 2025
At the same time, weather whiplash from climate change is also providing more tinder-dry fuels for the blazes to engulf.
—Brandon Miller, CNN Money, 8 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
See All Example Sentences for tinder
Cite this Entry
“Tinder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tinder. Accessed 9 Sep. 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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