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
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
Kenya’s deteriorating economy — youth unemployment stands at 67% — has turned the country into a tinderbox: Yesterday’s protests were preceded by violent demonstrations against the killing of a blogger while in police custody, leaving many seeking answers.
—
Ben Smith, semafor.com, 27 June 2025
The Salvadoran national whose mistaken deportation became a tinderbox in the fight over President Trump’s immigration policies has been in jail since he was returned to the U.S. on June 7, facing two counts of human smuggling.
—Travis Loller, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025
Importantly, however, the scene in Los Angeles by no means indicates that electric cars are tinderboxes.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 9 June 2025
When a young girl impregnated by her pedophile stepfather unwittingly lands there, her arrival is the spark that lights a tinderbox.
—New York Times, 8 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for tinderbox
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Ben Smith, semafor.com, 27 June 2025
The Salvadoran national whose mistaken deportation became a tinderbox in the fight over President Trump’s immigration policies has been in jail since he was returned to the U.S. on June 7, facing two counts of human smuggling.
—Travis Loller, Los Angeles Times, 25 June 2025
Importantly, however, the scene in Los Angeles by no means indicates that electric cars are tinderboxes.
—Deni Ellis Béchard, Scientific American, 9 June 2025
When a young girl impregnated by her pedophile stepfather unwittingly lands there, her arrival is the spark that lights a tinderbox.
—New York Times, 8 July 2024
See All Example Sentences for tinderbox
Cite this Entry
“Tinderbox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tinderbox. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
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