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

• flash point
• powder keg
• time bomb
• 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

Drought conditions in Los Angeles made the area a tinderbox – flammable conditions exacerbated by the fact that Southern California had unusually wet weather from 2022 to 2024. —Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 13 Jan. 2025

Israel is at the center of a tinderbox of multiple, interrelated Middle East conflicts. —Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 12 Sep. 2024

Millions of Californians already live in tinderbox canyons and at the edges of shrub fields and overgrown forests. —Calmatters, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2025

Urban warfare The Los Angeles inferno adds another difficulty: an urban tinderbox. —Raymond Zhong, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1530, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for tinderbox

• aftershocks
• chatterbox
• equinox
• goldilocks
• hollyhocks
• interlocks
• orthodox
• paradox
• tomahawks
• balks
• blocks
• blocs

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