tinder

noun

tin·​der ˈtin-dər 

1

: a very flammable substance adaptable for use as kindling

2

: something that serves to incite or inflame

… that rhetoric was ready tinder for revolution.

—Margaret Peters

Examples of tinder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But El Niño amplifies the flames by prolonging dry conditions, lowering water levels in the peatland and turning plants into tinder. — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 9 Sep. 2026

In a forest in tinder-dry France, a massive wildfire outside the southwestern city of Bordeaux uncovered a cache of what is believed to be World War II-era ammunition. — Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026

That is, heavy winter rains and snowfalls that encourage abundant spring growth, only to be dried to tinder by the now-successive heatwaves baking southern Europe and the American Southwest. — John Vaillant, Time, 8 Aug. 2026

These grasses turn bright green when the rains come, then dry into a bed of tinder in the summer. — Angus Chen, STAT, 22 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English tynder; akin to Old High German zuntra tinder, Old English tendan to kindle

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tinder

• cinder
• hinder
• linder
• winder

Kids Definition

tinder

noun

tin·​der ˈtin-dər 

: a material that burns easily and can be used as kindling