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
They are charged with negligent homicide, negligent bodily harm and negligent arson, according to the news release.
—
Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
The Kansas City Police Department’s bomb and arson unit responded to the scene of the fire, which is standard protocol.
—Kansas City Star, 5 Jan. 2026
Local officials have attributed the power outage to an arson attack from The Vulkangruppe (The Volcano Group), a left-wing extremist group.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 5 Jan. 2026
The incident is being investigated as a possible act of arson.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arson
Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 5 Jan. 2026
The Kansas City Police Department’s bomb and arson unit responded to the scene of the fire, which is standard protocol.
—Kansas City Star, 5 Jan. 2026
Local officials have attributed the power outage to an arson attack from The Vulkangruppe (The Volcano Group), a left-wing extremist group.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 5 Jan. 2026
The incident is being investigated as a possible act of arson.
—Los Angeles Times, 4 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arson
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arson
Noun
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Republicans have also launched a congressional investigation into the fire response.—
Brie Stimson,
FOXNews.com,
8 Jan. 2026
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Local fire and government authorities are notified prior to burn days and kept informed throughout prescribed fire operations.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
8 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The wildfire has been burning on private land.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
9 Nov. 2025
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Conway said there aren’t a lot of discounts currently available for wildfire mitigation, but there are for fortifying a house’s roof against hail.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
7 Nov. 2025
Noun
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Many homes and businesses in the area temporarily lost power after the blaze, including Inga's Alpine Tavern.—
Ashley Portillo,
CBS News,
8 Jan. 2026
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The proclamation also mentions the Tubbs, Camp and North Complex blazes of recent years.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
8 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arson.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arson. Accessed 11 Jan. 2026.
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