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 Spriggs will lead the Office of the State Fire Marshal, which oversees fire and arson investigations, explosives investigations, fire-code enforcement and fire-prevention efforts across Maryland. — Todd Karpovich, Baltimore Sun, 16 Sep. 2026 The Federal Bureau of Investigation has increased its reward for a suspect accused of taking part in a 2020 arson attack at Atlanta's Immigration and Customs Enforcement office. — Dan Raby, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2026 This legislation is significant in light of recent escalations by militant West Bank settlers conducting a campaign of killing, arson and intimidation against Palestinians to expel them from their land. — Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 8 Sep. 2026 Sheriff’s office homicide detectives and arson investigators are investigating the fire, Peguero Rivera said. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 7 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for arson
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arson
Noun
  • Evolution When asked about the greatest innovation of humans, people will often say language or fire.
    — Hannah Little, Scientific American, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Ukraine fires over 1,000 drones at Russia The election’s last day came against a backdrop of a major wave of Ukrainian attacks.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Assembly Bill 2494 would have eliminated what’s often characterized as a logging mandate in favor of prioritizing values such as carbon storage, wildfire resilience and biodiversity conservation.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
  • In lieu of flowers, the family suggests donations to the Dick Guttman Memorial Fund at the Entertainment Industries Foundation, which supports members of the creative community through a variety of philanthropic efforts, including wildfire relief.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 23 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Instead, an executive at the technician’s company, Pearce Services, called investigators and said the worker saw one solar panel melted and another on fire in the early moments of the blaze before Lineage knew what was happening.
    — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 2026
  • But none quite managed to fully extinguish the blaze, which is why the grand prize ultimately remained out of reach in this track as well.
    — Jeremy Hsu, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Arson.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arson. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

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