arson

Definition of arsonnext
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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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 Barnette was indicted by a grand jury in June 2025 on charges of first-degree arson, second-degree arson, malicious use of an explosive device to cause damage and first-degree arson resulting in the injury of a fire investigator. Charlotte Observer, 26 Aug. 2026 The massive fire that destroyed Friendship Baptist Church in Cleveland last week has been deemed an arson and investigators are working on arrest, fire officials said Tuesday. Ivan Pereira, ABC News, 25 Aug. 2026 There were arson attacks in 2024 in Leyton and Birmingham that were both thought to be orchestrated by Moscow. Will Barker, TheWeek, 24 Aug. 2026 Following an investigation, Cherokee County fire officials arrested Jackie Ingram on a charge of first-degree arson. Cbs News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for arson
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arson
Noun
  • The Plaskett fire was 8,241 acres as of Sunday morning — up from about 6,000 acres Saturday morning — and only 1% contained.
    Deputy Managing Editor, Los Angeles Times, 31 Aug. 2026
  • This includes campfires, warming fires and charcoal barbecues, the park said, directing visitors to its Fire Information webpage.
    Eve Chen, USA Today, 31 Aug. 2026
Noun
  • The national park also saw wildfires on its northern edge in 2025, making the floods the second natural disaster to hit the park in the past year.
    Joshua Hong, Fortune, 4 Sep. 2026
  • Twenty miles from the start of stage eight in Puçol, the biggest wildfire in 40 years in the city of Valencia was close to being extinguished but was still burning.
    Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Since last year’s fires in Los Angeles, thousands of people have remained displaced or stuck in temporary housing, even though many of them own homes that survived the blazes.
    Evan Bush, NBC news, 1 Sep. 2026
  • Newsom unveiled his latest proposal as Southern California Edison faces claims from the state’s second-most destructive blaze, a 2025 fire that killed 19 people outside of Los Angeles.
    ABC News, ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Arson.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arson. Accessed 6 Sep. 2026.

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