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
Spears was previously convicted of arson in 2015 and 2022.
—
Drake Bentley, jsonline.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Pittman appeared in court with burn injuries to his hands and ankles, allegedly from the arson.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 21 Jan. 2026
More recently, French taxi drivers attacked Uber vehicles in 2015, and arson attacks have plagued 5G cellphone towers in the 2020s.
—Craig S. Smith, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Perhaps the murder occurred while the defendant was in the process of committing another felony, like arson, burglary, or robbery.
—Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arson
Drake Bentley, jsonline.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Pittman appeared in court with burn injuries to his hands and ankles, allegedly from the arson.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 21 Jan. 2026
More recently, French taxi drivers attacked Uber vehicles in 2015, and arson attacks have plagued 5G cellphone towers in the 2020s.
—Craig S. Smith, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
Perhaps the murder occurred while the defendant was in the process of committing another felony, like arson, burglary, or robbery.
—Literary Hub, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arson
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arson
Noun
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Jets fire Engstrand The New York Jets are searching for a new offensive coordinator after parting ways with Tanner Engstrand.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
28 Jan. 2026
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For Ramsay, who was personally impacted by the fires, the night carried emotional weight.—
Michelle Edgar,
Daily News,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The temple’s lawsuit details how investigators have found Edison’s equipment to have caused multiple wildfires in the last 10 years, including the the Round Fire in 2015, the Rey Fire in 2016, the Thomas, Creek, and Rye fires in 2017,and the Woolsey Fire in 2018.—
Melody Petersen,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
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Cal Fire formed the task force in August, about six weeks after an unpermitted fireworks facility exploded in rural Yolo County, killing seven people and sparking a 78-acre wildfire.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Xcel disputes that its equipment started one of the blazes.—
Judith Kohler,
Denver Post,
27 Jan. 2026
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The proximity of clotheslines, curtains, and building material to stovetops and kerosene lamps would, now and then, ignite blazes that swallowed entire homes, blocks, and families.—
Sean Williams,
Harpers Magazine,
27 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arson.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arson. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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