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Definition of incendiary
incendiaries
From the M-W Editors
Examples of incendiary in a Sentence
He was convinced that the arsonist was not at all what the town imagined: not brazen, but callow; not an expert incendiary noiselessly plying deer paths, but someone who was driving right up to his targets and fumbling with matches … —Barry Werth, New England Monthly, February 1989
White phosphorus, an incendiary, is normally packed in thin-walled casings; the casing is effective for dispersing chemical agents as well. —Stephen Budiansky, Nature, 5–11 Apr. 1984
The British had also made jellied gasoline with rubber, and it was generally recognized to be an excellent incendiary because of its easy ignition, high heat of combustion, and controlled burning rate. —B. & F. M. Brodie, From Crossbow to H-Bomb, 1973
firefighters caught the incendiary, who was watching the effects of his handiwork
blamed the protests on outside incendiaries who were intent on overthrowing the government
Recent Examples of incendiary from the Web
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White phosphorus, along with other incendiaries, has been used by Syrian government forces battling insurgents in Aleppo and elsewhere.
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But incendiaries, barrel bombs and missiles can do just as much damage to civilians as gas — which Assad didn’t necessarily use or intend to use in the future, anyway.
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The bombardier dropped four incendiaries, setting the factory ablaze.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'incendiary.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of incendiary
Middle English, from Latin incendiarius, from incendium conflagration, from incendere
Definition of incendiary
2 : tending to excite or inflame : inflammatory incendiary speeches
3a : igniting combustible materials spontaneouslyb : of, relating to, or being a weapon (such as a bomb) designed to start fires
4 : extremely hot incendiary chili peppers
Examples of incendiary in a Sentence
While visual effects experts work with images, mechanical effects experts work with machinery, tools, incendiary devices, and other equipment to manipulate physical events during live-action filming. —Patricia D. Netzley, Encyclopedia of Movie Special Effects, 2000
In the mid-Eighties, heavy-metal music was the incendiary genre being demonized … —Alan Light, Rolling Stone, 18 Feb. 1993
The only caveat … is to know one's own sensitivity to chili pepper heat. If a small or moderate dose of capsicum (the incendiary chemical component in chilies) makes you dash for a glass of ice water, this menu is not going to be fun for you. —Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator, 15 Mar. 1991
The fire was started by an incendiary bomb.
recklessly made incendiary remarks during a period of heightened racial tensions
Recent Examples of incendiary from the Web
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But there is a long way to go before any responsible person starts making incendiary claims about treason.
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Gavin Long, the black gunman who killed the Baton Rouge police officers and was later killed at the scene, was targeting police and had a history of making violent and incendiary posts online.
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The Cook County medical examiner's office ruled the deaths of both men homicides caused by thermal injuries from an incendiary fire.
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During World War II, the 555th Airborne Battalion, an all African-American Army paratrooper unit, served as smokejumpers to defend against Japan’s attack on the western U.S. with incendiary balloons.
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Rondo was beloved by his younger teammates even before his incendiary Instagram post that chided Dwyane Wade and Butler for criticizing teammates.
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Foreign governments do not know whether to believe Tillerson's reassuring words or Trump's incendiary statements.
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Spector’s incendiary live performances established her as an unparalleled frontwoman in the early rock and roll world, providing a blue print for generations of lead singers.
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Photo: Paul Morse for The Wall Street Journal In most administrations, lower-ranking officials make the incendiary comments, while the president rises above to offer the calmer, more soothing explanations of his policies.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'incendiary.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of incendiary
see 1incendiary
INCENDIARY Defined for English Language Learners
incendiary
playDefinition of incendiary for English Language Learners
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: containing chemicals that explode into flame : producing a fire
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: causing anger
Learn More about incendiary
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See words that rhyme with incendiary Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for incendiary Spanish Central: Translation of incendiary Nglish: Translation of incendiary for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of incendiary for Arabic speakers
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