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
-
Authorities in Minnesota are investigating two more fatal house fires after an initial deadly blaze last weekend.—
Forum News Service,
Twin Cities,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Carvalho discussed the event’s main goal, to mark a year since the beginning of recovery from the Altadena and Pacific Palisades fires in January of 2025.—
Daily News,
Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
One of the most destructive wildfires in Los Angeles history, the Palisades fire burned 23,448 acres and destroyed much of the exclusive Pacific Palisades community, destroying about 6,800 structures and killing 12 people.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Impact on the brain Air pollution is the mix of gases and tiny particles from wildfires, traffic or burning fossil fuels.—
Miriam Fauzia,
Dallas Morning News,
19 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arsons.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arsons. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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