as in fires
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 arsons
Furthermore, the Arizona district attorney's office said Pricop was found guilty in 2024 in a federal court in California on six commercial truck arsons.
—
Paula Wethington, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026
It has been used in cases ranging from church arsons and antisemitic intimidation to political conspiracy and witness tampering.
—Josh Funk, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026
When he was interviewed by police, Banda initially denied any involvement in the arsons but later admitted to setting the fires, according to the affidavit.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Jan. 2026
Chkhikvishvili also solicited the undercover agent to commit bombings and arsons targeting racial minorities, prosecutors said.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 19 Nov. 2025
By then, the amount of arsons in the three-day period leading up to Halloween had fallen dramatically from the 1984 peak of over 800 fires.
—Jc Reindl, Freep.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Officers later executed a search warrant at the teen’s home finding what police said was evidence connecting him to the earlier car arsons.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Listen to this article With vandalism and arsons of Tesla cars becoming more common across the country, the Connecticut legislature’s Conservative Caucus called Monday for top state officials to label the property crimes as domestic terrorism.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 2025
This, in turn, led to waves of protest and a series of arsons that afflicted 24 churches over the next two years.
—The Editors, National Review, 28 Feb. 2025
Paula Wethington, CBS News, 4 Feb. 2026
It has been used in cases ranging from church arsons and antisemitic intimidation to political conspiracy and witness tampering.
—Josh Funk, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2026
When he was interviewed by police, Banda initially denied any involvement in the arsons but later admitted to setting the fires, according to the affidavit.
—Shambhavi Rimal, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 16 Jan. 2026
Chkhikvishvili also solicited the undercover agent to commit bombings and arsons targeting racial minorities, prosecutors said.
—Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 19 Nov. 2025
By then, the amount of arsons in the three-day period leading up to Halloween had fallen dramatically from the 1984 peak of over 800 fires.
—Jc Reindl, Freep.com, 30 Oct. 2025
Officers later executed a search warrant at the teen’s home finding what police said was evidence connecting him to the earlier car arsons.
—Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2025
Listen to this article With vandalism and arsons of Tesla cars becoming more common across the country, the Connecticut legislature’s Conservative Caucus called Monday for top state officials to label the property crimes as domestic terrorism.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 31 Mar. 2025
This, in turn, led to waves of protest and a series of arsons that afflicted 24 churches over the next two years.
—The Editors, National Review, 28 Feb. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arsons
Noun
-
Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
5 Mar. 2026
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The fires devastated Pacific Palisades and Altadena — destroying homes and businesses, displacing residents and killing 31 people.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Hartman said the department is in touch with local and state crews regarding the wildfires, who will give them a 24-hour notice if an evacuation at Alligator Alcatraz becomes necessary.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Gillespie County and the rest of the Hill Country is facing an elevated risk of wildfires, according to the National Weather Service.—
Ricardo Delgado,
San Antonio Express-News,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arsons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arsons. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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