as in fire
the illegal burning of a building or other property; the crime of setting fire to something
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but investigators suspect arson. The town has suffered a rash of arson attacks.
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Recent Examples of arson
His investigative know-how is supposedly legendary, but the arsons remain unsolved and there are new fires that keep following the same patterns.
—
Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2025
The government does not have to prove that the defendant himself committed any of these predicate crimes (like arson).
—Adam Reiss, NBC news, 25 June 2025
Taron Egerton and Jurnee Smollett star in this true-crime series about an arson investigator and a detective searching for a serial arsonist.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 24 June 2025
The prosecution has sought to convince the jury that Diddy oversaw a decades-long racketeering enterprise that relied on the loyalty of employees willing to do anything for him, including committing such crimes as arson, bribery, kidnapping and buying drugs.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 21 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for arson
Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2025
The government does not have to prove that the defendant himself committed any of these predicate crimes (like arson).
—Adam Reiss, NBC news, 25 June 2025
Taron Egerton and Jurnee Smollett star in this true-crime series about an arson investigator and a detective searching for a serial arsonist.
—Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 24 June 2025
The prosecution has sought to convince the jury that Diddy oversaw a decades-long racketeering enterprise that relied on the loyalty of employees willing to do anything for him, including committing such crimes as arson, bribery, kidnapping and buying drugs.
—Joseph Wilkinson, New York Daily News, 21 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for arson
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arson
Noun
-
Roley, who was found dead near the scene after appearing to have shot himself, is suspected of lighting the brush with a flint fire starter before ambushing the firefighting crew in a mountainous area of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.—
David Zimmermann,
The Washington Examiner,
1 July 2025
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The suspect was found to be in possession of a Flint starter that Norris said Monday was believed to be used to ignite the fire.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
1 July 2025
Noun
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Notwithstanding Michelin Guide’s 2020 pause in ratings due to the pandemic and wildfires, Providence held two stars every year since the guide’s return to L.A.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
26 June 2025
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The cost of weather disasters in the U.S. has skyrocketed in the last decade, as climate change causes more intense weather and populations grow in areas that are at high risk for hurricanes, wildfires and other destructive events.—
Rebecca Hersher,
NPR,
26 June 2025
Noun
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Two firefighters battling a house blaze were transported to the hospital for heat exhaustion, as temps surged past 100 degrees on Tuesday.—
Rick Sobey,
Boston Herald,
25 June 2025
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The powerful blaze blew out the building’s windows, leaving glass shards on the ground.—
Rebecca White,
New York Daily News,
22 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Arson.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arson. Accessed 9 Jul. 2025.
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