torch 1 of 2

as in igniter
a person who deliberately and unlawfully sets fire to a building or other property several suspicious fires in the past few months have probably been set by the same torch

Synonyms & Similar Words

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torch

2 of 2

verb

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of torch
Noun
Not just as an inspiration, but almost like the passing of the torch. Nasha Smith, Forbes.com, 9 May 2025 This match seems like the beginning of a passing of the torch to Valkyria. Jeremy Hanna, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 May 2025
Verb
Kid Cudi, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, had his car torched a short time afterward. Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 16 May 2025 The urban fires killed at least 30 people and torched more than 18,000 structures, resulting in at least $28 billion in property damage. U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for torch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torch
Verb
  • The Ellen MacArthur Foundation promotes circular fashion and says that, in the United States, an amount of clothing equal to a garbage truck is ferried to landfills or burned every second.
    Neeti Mehra, Treehugger, 13 Sep. 2023
  • The pair, who met as college undergrads, both burned with idealism and recognized their privilege could be leveraged for a game-changing idea.
    Carole Horst, Variety, 13 Sep. 2023
Verb
  • The team tailors lighting and imaging techniques to each piece, ensuring the best possible results without compromising the object’s integrity.
    Courtney Lane, Kansas City Star, 27 May 2025
  • The Democrats are getting ready to light $20 million on fire to study their unpopularity!
    Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 27 May 2025
Noun
  • In video released by police, the firebug could be seen setting fire to a small pile of trash next to the head of a sleeping passenger stretched out on the seat.
    Elizabeth Keogh, New York Daily News, 12 Feb. 2025
  • Two men have been charged with felony arson in Los Angeles in unrelated cases as authorities combat firebugs, looters and multiple raging blazes in Southern California.
    Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Mercury in Gemini is igniting your fourth house of home, family and emotional foundations, encouraging conversations around personal matters, home improvements or your living situation.
    Valerie Mesa, People.com, 25 May 2025
  • Floyd’s death ignited widespread protests around the world, lasting for weeks in 2020.
    Alisha Ebrahimji, CNN Money, 25 May 2025
Verb
  • In the collider, lead ions are fired at each other at nearly the speed of light, either hitting one another or passing close to others.
    George Petras, USA Today, 17 May 2025
  • The officers were told someone walking between the injured person’s house and the neighboring one had fired the shots, police said.
    Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 May 2025
Verb
  • Even minor parks or embers might be carried into leaves or grass, kindling a fire that can swiftly expand.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 19 May 2025
  • Mary’s love of nature, kindled in the back yard of her childhood home, had inspired her to become a scientist.
    E. Tammy Kim, The New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • The ceramic plates are also infused with volcanic rock and minerals to help seal the cuticle without stripping moisture, leaving hair sleek, not scorched.
    Kiana Murden, Vogue, 21 May 2025
  • The three wildfires have combined to scorch more than 30,000 acres of land in St. Louis County, destroying more than 150 structures, including houses and cabins, in their wake.
    Forum News Service, Twin Cities, 20 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Torch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torch. Accessed 30 May. 2025.

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