ignited; igniting
1
a
: to set afire
also
: kindle
b
: to cause (a fuel) to burn
2
: to subject to fire or intense heat
especially
: to render luminous by heat
ig·nit·er
variants
or ignitor
plural -s
: one that ignites: such as
a
: a charge usually of black gunpowder used to facilitate the ignition of a propelling charge and sometimes of a bursting charge
b
: a device for igniting fuel mixture (as in an internal-combustion engine, a jet engine, or a rocket engine)
c
: a separately energized electrode used for restriking the arc in an ignitron
Synonyms of ignite
Examples of ignite in a Sentence
Verb
The fire was ignited by sparks.
The paper ignited on contact with sparks.
a material that ignites easily
Three wins in a row ignited the team.
His proposal is igniting opposition.
Recent Examples on the Web
Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 10 June 2026
Federal prosecutors say a 30-year-old former Uber driver, fueled by resentment toward the wealthy, ignited the Lachman fire, which days later exploded into the Palisades fire.
—Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
The expectant father, who shot a makeshift target that exploded into a blue cloud, igniting the surrounding brush, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor violation of US Forest Service regulations and was ordered to pay restitution for the damages.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 9 June 2026
Still, the moon in Aries ignites your seventh house of commitments and partnerships, making other people (and their needs) impossible to ignore.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ignite
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Verb
Instead, Pacific Gas & Electricity power lines in the high hills of Butte County ignited the 153,336-acre wildfire that destroyed nearly 19,000 buildings and killed 85 people, state fire officials determined.
—Don Sweeney, Sacbee.com, 10 June 2026
Federal prosecutors say a 30-year-old former Uber driver, fueled by resentment toward the wealthy, ignited the Lachman fire, which days later exploded into the Palisades fire.
—Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 10 June 2026
The expectant father, who shot a makeshift target that exploded into a blue cloud, igniting the surrounding brush, pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor violation of US Forest Service regulations and was ordered to pay restitution for the damages.
—Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 9 June 2026
Still, the moon in Aries ignites your seventh house of commitments and partnerships, making other people (and their needs) impossible to ignore.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 9 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ignite
Cite this Entry
“Ignite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ignite. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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