Thesaurus results for ARSON

arson

noun

Definition of arson

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.

Related Words

Relevance

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 arson Authorities arrested a 33-year-old man on suspicion of arson. — Geir Moulson, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026 Some 550,000 people took to the streets and the protests turned into widespread looting, arson and clashes with police. — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 23 Oct. 2026 Several French cities were rocked by looting and arson at the weekend, alongside mass peaceful protests over the state of public services, the cost of living and discontent with political leadership. — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026 Police on Tuesday arrested a suspect in the arson attack that charred the historic city hall in Limoges, in central France, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said, adding that the person may not have acted alone. — Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for arson

Recent Examples of Synonyms for arson

Noun

In Palm Beach County, Amendment 3 could mean higher fees for beach parking, water, sewer, police, fire, parks, museums and libraries, and longer response times for emergency services.

— Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 1 Nov. 2026
Raman has portrayed Bass as a weak and ineffective leader, pointing to her handling of the Palisades fire, the homelessness crisis and the city’s ongoing struggle to deliver basic services.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026

Definition of fire

Noun

Both candidates promise to prioritize wildfire prevention, balance the county budget and find ways to boost county revenue without raising taxes.

— Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 4 Nov. 2026
Droughts, El Niño, an eroding coast and the year-round threat of wildfires, much of it accelerated by climate change.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of wildfire

Noun

Across Lower East Side dives in the early 2000s, Brian Chase, Nick Zinner, and Karen O put on otherworldly rock shows that verged on performance art—a blaze of vodka-spitting, mic-fellating, IDGAF unruliness and explosive, clamorous tracks.

— Megan Buerger, Pitchfork, 5 Nov. 2026
Firefighter Ryan Milligan died while battling a blaze in Ohio.

— Michael Guise, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of blaze

Browse Nearby Words

arsenals

arson

arsonist

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Arson.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arson. Accessed 5 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of arson

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on arson

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

effrontery

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

The Words of the Week - Nov. 6

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes