as in explosive
capable of catching or being set on fire
don't store oily rags and other combustible materials in a hot attic
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Recent Examples of combustible
Too many people today who are deeply engaged in America's combustible political process have forgotten that there are more important things in life than politics.
—
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025
In recent months, Lee has tried to smooth the rougher edges of his public persona, vowing to mend the country’s increasingly combustible partisan rifts.
—Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
In turn, this can help alleviate nicotine cravings and reduce withdrawal symptoms, among smokers of combustible cigarettes as well as e-cigarettes (vaping).
—Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025
Tonight, the gravity of the occasion—perhaps the biggest reunion in our lifetime—makes the atmosphere combustible.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for combustible
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025
In recent months, Lee has tried to smooth the rougher edges of his public persona, vowing to mend the country’s increasingly combustible partisan rifts.
—Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025
In turn, this can help alleviate nicotine cravings and reduce withdrawal symptoms, among smokers of combustible cigarettes as well as e-cigarettes (vaping).
—Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025
Tonight, the gravity of the occasion—perhaps the biggest reunion in our lifetime—makes the atmosphere combustible.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 5 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for combustible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combustible
Adjective
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The blaze broke out on July 13 and burned for several days before undergoing explosive growth fueled by strong winds, high temperatures and low humidity.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
21 July 2025
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In order to help retrieve the man from the cave, rescuers widened the cave using explosive charges at three key junctures carrying him to the surface.—
Ashley J. DiMella,
FOXNews.com,
21 July 2025
Adjective
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At the corner, the man is seen dragging the animal into the street, pouring a flammable liquid on it, and setting it on fire before running off.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
26 July 2025
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Nonnative grasses can be extremely flammable and spread quickly, increasing the risk and intensity of a wildfire.—
John Leos,
AZCentral.com,
15 July 2025
Adjective
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And all this against an inflammable backdrop of geopolitical crises including but not limited to the Israel-Hamas war and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.—
John Leicester,
Quartz,
15 Apr. 2024
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Heat also stresses old electrical systems — insulation breaks down; lubricants in relays dry out — and a not-insignificant amount of the subway’s electrical wiring dates to the 1920s and 1930s, some of it cloth-covered, inflammable, and pervious to water.—
Curbed,
Curbed,
28 July 2023
Adjective
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Chicago Police Department brass accused Mayor Brandon Johnson’s administration of deliberately slowing down paychecks for dozens of employees this summer in a fiery email that warned the city was jeopardizing its compliance with the federal consent decree.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
22 July 2025
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In another, cucumber kimchi, a fresh and crunchy side dressed in gochujang with a fiery kick that cuts through the richness filling the rest of my tray.—
Rachel Bernhard,
jsonline.com,
22 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Combustible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combustible. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
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