tinderbox

noun

tin·​der·​box ˈtin-dər-ˌbäks 

1

a

: a metal box for holding tinder and usually a flint and steel for striking a spark

b

: a highly inflammable object or place

2

: a potentially explosive place or situation

Synonyms of tinderbox

• volcano

Examples of tinderbox in a Sentence

That old house is really a tinderbox.

officials sought to calm the situation, which had grown into a tinderbox

Recent Examples on the Web

The ongoing drought in Spain has turned the country’s fields and forests into a tinderbox, but those conditions made for ideal eclipse viewing. — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 17 Aug. 2026

Arday’s rise and fall has become a tinderbox in Britain’s culture wars, raising questions about Cambridge’s vetting, media accountability and how public scrutiny targets Black academics and diversity initiatives. — Sylvia Hui, Los Angeles Times, 15 Aug. 2026

Unlike many forests in the American Southwest, where trees are adapted to seasonal drought and frequent fire, these forests can become tinderboxes when subjected to weeks of unusual heat. — Bloomberg, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026

The tinderbox conditions also drove record-setting extreme wildfires across the continent. — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 10 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for tinderbox

• aftershocks
• chatterbox
• chickenpox
• equinox
• firebox
• goldilocks
• hollyhocks
• interlocks
• orthodox
• paradox
• tomahawks
• balks

Kids Definition

tinderbox

noun

tin·​der·​box -ˌbäks 

1

: a metal box for holding tinder and usually a flint and steel for striking a spark

2

: something that can easily catch fire