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
The arsonists were never identified.
—
Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
The cases started in the early morning hours on Wednesday, and the arsonist struck again on Thursday.
—Andrea Nakano, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
He was draped in the only surviving tallit from the synagogue’s library, where the arsonist lit the fire.
—Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 20 Jan. 2026
The Palisades Fire, which started in the Santa Monica Mountains, was the reignition of an earlier blaze allegedly set by an arsonist, which had not been fully extinguished.
—Dana Goodyear, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
Last year, an arsonist tried to kill Shapiro by setting the governor’s official residence on fire in the middle of the night.
—Marc Levy, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Jimmy Haslam chose this week to keep the arsonist and rid himself of the fireman who couldn’t put out the flames.
—Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Impeachment and removal from office for playing arsonist to the United States Constitution is inescapable.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 4 Jan. 2026
The arsonist Pete McDonough, who escaped alongside Merle, sets Todd on fire.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 14 Dec. 2025
Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
The cases started in the early morning hours on Wednesday, and the arsonist struck again on Thursday.
—Andrea Nakano, CBS News, 23 Jan. 2026
He was draped in the only surviving tallit from the synagogue’s library, where the arsonist lit the fire.
—Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 20 Jan. 2026
The Palisades Fire, which started in the Santa Monica Mountains, was the reignition of an earlier blaze allegedly set by an arsonist, which had not been fully extinguished.
—Dana Goodyear, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
Last year, an arsonist tried to kill Shapiro by setting the governor’s official residence on fire in the middle of the night.
—Marc Levy, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Jimmy Haslam chose this week to keep the arsonist and rid himself of the fireman who couldn’t put out the flames.
—Jason Lloyd, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
Impeachment and removal from office for playing arsonist to the United States Constitution is inescapable.
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 4 Jan. 2026
The arsonist Pete McDonough, who escaped alongside Merle, sets Todd on fire.
—Noel Murray, Vulture, 14 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arsonist
torch
Noun
-
Now Harden might have taken the trade torch from the former Pacers, Spurs and Jazz point guard.—
Zach Harper,
New York Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Rocker Yungblud is carrying the torch in memory of Ozzy Osbourne.—
Melissa Ruggieri,
USA Today,
2 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arsonist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arsonist. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
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