as in torch
a person who deliberately and unlawfully sets fire to a building or other property
they finally caught the arsonist, but only after he'd set fire to four barns
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Recent Examples of arsonist
The state of Maryland is burning at the hands of political arsonists, and the Maryland Freedom Caucus continues to criticize the color of the few fire trucks Maryland Republicans are deploying to contain the disaster.
—
Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 25 Feb. 2026
But the fires leave Fitchburg resident Brenda Martinez fearful of a potential arsonist on the loose.
—Samantha Chaney, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
In May, arsonists incinerated an 860,000-square-foot megamall in Warsaw; an investigation found the blaze was ordered by the GRU.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 17 Feb. 2026
The temple, more than 330 feet long and 150 feet wide (roughly 100 meters by 46 meters), was burnt down in 356 by an arsonist named Herostratus.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
The arsonists were never identified.
—Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
He was draped in the only surviving tallit from the synagogue’s library, where the arsonist lit the fire.
—Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 20 Jan. 2026
The Palisades Fire, which started in the Santa Monica Mountains, was the reignition of an earlier blaze allegedly set by an arsonist, which had not been fully extinguished.
—Dana Goodyear, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
Last year, an arsonist tried to kill Shapiro by setting the governor’s official residence on fire in the middle of the night.
—Marc Levy, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 25 Feb. 2026
But the fires leave Fitchburg resident Brenda Martinez fearful of a potential arsonist on the loose.
—Samantha Chaney, CBS News, 18 Feb. 2026
In May, arsonists incinerated an 860,000-square-foot megamall in Warsaw; an investigation found the blaze was ordered by the GRU.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 17 Feb. 2026
The temple, more than 330 feet long and 150 feet wide (roughly 100 meters by 46 meters), was burnt down in 356 by an arsonist named Herostratus.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 9 Feb. 2026
The arsonists were never identified.
—Literary Hub, 27 Jan. 2026
He was draped in the only surviving tallit from the synagogue’s library, where the arsonist lit the fire.
—Grace Gilson, Sun Sentinel, 20 Jan. 2026
The Palisades Fire, which started in the Santa Monica Mountains, was the reignition of an earlier blaze allegedly set by an arsonist, which had not been fully extinguished.
—Dana Goodyear, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
Last year, an arsonist tried to kill Shapiro by setting the governor’s official residence on fire in the middle of the night.
—Marc Levy, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arsonist
torch
Noun
-
In March, the old town of Akre is the centre of Kurdish Newroz festivities, when hundreds of people carry flaming torches up the hillside in a boisterous, joyous celebration of the New Year.—
Nicola Chilton,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Feb. 2026
-
As quiet as everyone is, one of the men with a torch comes upon the boat.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arsonist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arsonist. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.
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