as in torches
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
Synonyms & Similar 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 arsonists
Their heroic efforts to get product out the door, by focusing on resolving the crisis without addressing its underlying cause, created the conditions for new problems to emerge, turning the project managers into unwitting firefighting arsonists.
—
Nelson P. Repenning, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
Examples of attacks include everything from graffiti and destruction of statues to arsonists destroying entire churches and assailants attacking churchgoers with deadly weapons.
—Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 30 Aug. 2025
Ansfield brings this expansive vision to the Bronx, following the trail from the arsonists who did the torching to the landlords who ordered it, the policymakers who enabled it, the financiers who encouraged it, and the insurers who paid for it.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Wildfires caused by arsonists or thunderstorms and fanned by a heatwave and strong winds wreaked destruction across southern Europe on Wednesday, burning homes and forcing thousands of residents and tourists to flee.
—USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025
Seeing arsonists just set fire to it all is awful.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 15 Mar. 2025
In France, arsonists set fire to a dozen Teslas at a dealership in Tolouse, which could be related to radical anti-capitalist groups as well, according to French outlet numerama.
—Emily Forlini, PCMAG, 4 Mar. 2025
Investigators soon determined, and so did the courts, that a motley group of arsonists had intentionally torched the factory, seemingly for the insurance money.
—Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 2 Mar. 2025
As with all arsonists, their motives vary, Nordskog said.
—Laura Paddison, CNN, 3 Feb. 2025
Nelson P. Repenning, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
Examples of attacks include everything from graffiti and destruction of statues to arsonists destroying entire churches and assailants attacking churchgoers with deadly weapons.
—Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 30 Aug. 2025
Ansfield brings this expansive vision to the Bronx, following the trail from the arsonists who did the torching to the landlords who ordered it, the policymakers who enabled it, the financiers who encouraged it, and the insurers who paid for it.
—Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 18 Aug. 2025
Wildfires caused by arsonists or thunderstorms and fanned by a heatwave and strong winds wreaked destruction across southern Europe on Wednesday, burning homes and forcing thousands of residents and tourists to flee.
—USA Today, 14 Aug. 2025
Seeing arsonists just set fire to it all is awful.
—David Folkenflik, NPR, 15 Mar. 2025
In France, arsonists set fire to a dozen Teslas at a dealership in Tolouse, which could be related to radical anti-capitalist groups as well, according to French outlet numerama.
—Emily Forlini, PCMAG, 4 Mar. 2025
Investigators soon determined, and so did the courts, that a motley group of arsonists had intentionally torched the factory, seemingly for the insurance money.
—Jody Mamone, Hartford Courant, 2 Mar. 2025
As with all arsonists, their motives vary, Nordskog said.
—Laura Paddison, CNN, 3 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arsonists
torches
Noun
-
The company's product line includes biodegradable and odorless fuels for oil lamps, candles, torches and lanterns.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Arsonists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arsonists. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share