arson

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.

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 Cybertruck fire at Arizona Tesla dealership; investigators arrest arson suspect A 35-year-old man is accused of arson after a Cybertruck was burned at a Tesla dealership in Mesa, Ariz., on April 28, 2025. Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 5 May 2025 The teenager, whose identity officials did not reveal, was taken into custody on Thursday and charged with aggravated arson, arson, and hindering apprehension, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office. Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 2 May 2025 Tesla’s cars, showrooms and Supercharger stations endured a wave of protests and sporadic acts of arson and vandalism. Bloomberg, Mercury News, 29 Apr. 2025 An arson attempt in an apartment last June damaged several units on the lower floors of the building. Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 26 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for arson
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arson
Noun
  • Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has unveiled plans for record military spending, including major investments in stockpiles of critical munitions such as long-range fires, antiship missiles, and missiles for air defense.
    ELY RATNER, Foreign Affairs, 27 May 2025
  • The crews at Holton clear brush and establish fire lines during wildland fires, the state said.
    Ian James, Los Angeles Times, 27 May 2025
Noun
  • While her home was not destroyed, the actress revealed in a Jan. 10 interview that one of her friends perished in the wildfires.
    Edward Segarra, USA Today, 22 May 2025
  • The dangers of summer The loss of the NOAA data comes at a particularly dangerous time of the year when hurricanes, floods, and wildfires are about to explode.
    Jeremy Ney, Time, 21 May 2025
Noun
  • In 2016, a contractor working on a trailer parked at the department’s Tactics and Survival Training Center sparked a blaze while using a metal grinder.
    Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 19 May 2025
  • Two other people suffered minor injuries — as well as a firefighter — from the blaze.
    Nicholas Williams, New York Daily News, 19 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Arson.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arson. Accessed 30 May. 2025.

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