as in torch
a person who deliberately and unlawfully sets fire to a building or other property
they finally caught the arsonist, but only after he'd set fire to four barns
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Recent Examples of arsonist
Examples of attacks include everything from graffiti and destruction of statues to arsonists destroying entire churches and assailants attacking churchgoers with deadly weapons.
—
Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 30 Aug. 2025
Ansfield brings this expansive vision to the Bronx, following the trail from the arsonists who did the torching to the landlords who ordered it, the policymakers who enabled it, the financiers who encouraged it, and the insurers who paid for it.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Gudsen, unmasked earlier as one of the two serial arsonists she's been hunting, unbuckles her seat belt and wrenches the wheel, sending them into a crash designed to kill her.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 15 Aug. 2025
An arsonist set a fire that damaged the front of the store and some of its interior, according to The Times of Israel.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Wildfires caused by arsonists or thunderstorms and fanned by a heatwave and strong winds wreaked destruction across southern Europe on Wednesday, burning homes and forcing thousands of residents and tourists to flee.
—USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025
Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 30 Aug. 2025
Ansfield brings this expansive vision to the Bronx, following the trail from the arsonists who did the torching to the landlords who ordered it, the policymakers who enabled it, the financiers who encouraged it, and the insurers who paid for it.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Gudsen, unmasked earlier as one of the two serial arsonists she's been hunting, unbuckles her seat belt and wrenches the wheel, sending them into a crash designed to kill her.
—Jp Mangalindan, Time, 15 Aug. 2025
An arsonist set a fire that damaged the front of the store and some of its interior, according to The Times of Israel.
—Rachel Wolf, FOXNews.com, 15 Aug. 2025
Wildfires caused by arsonists or thunderstorms and fanned by a heatwave and strong winds wreaked destruction across southern Europe on Wednesday, burning homes and forcing thousands of residents and tourists to flee.
—USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arsonist
torch
Noun
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And even as the price tag of the Brewsense model that has held that spot has increased to over $100, Braun’s Pureflavor picked up the cheap coffee maker torch.—
Noah Kaufman,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
4 Sep. 2025
-
This feels like the right moment to pass the torch as the Alliance prepares for its next chapter.—
Jill Goldsmith,
Deadline,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Arsonist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arsonist. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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