inflame

verb

in-ˈflām How to pronounce inflame (audio)
variants also enflame
Definition of inflamenext
1
as in to infuriate
to make angry the newspaper editorial inflamed her enough to inspire her to dash off a letter to the editor

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to burn
to set (something) on fire a carelessly tossed cigarette inflamed the papers in the trash can

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 inflame Democrats have been shut out of power in the House, Senate, and presidency since January 2025—the kind of situation that can inflame populist sentiment in an opposition party. — Thomas Shull, Washington Post, 9 Oct. 2026 Relying on remote technical collection could also avoid inflaming opposition by field officers who may not be prepared to take great personal risks to help the private sector. — David S. Cohen, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026 The killing of a woman in Okinawa has sparked an outcry across Japan and inflamed long-simmering tensions over the US military presence on the island. — Harriet Marsden, TheWeek, 7 Oct. 2026 The incident could further inflame tensions between the Koreas, which have no working military hotlines or other emergency communications channels as North Korea hardens its stance toward Seoul while expanding its military nuclear program. — Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inflame
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflame
  1. infuriate
  2. burn
  3. anger
  4. ignite
  5. enrage
  6. scorch
  7. irritate
  8. light
Verb
  • Cummings said that in January 2021, a friend of Birchmore’s called Stoughton police and told a dispatcher about the illicit relationship, infuriating Farwell.
    — Faith Karimi, CNN Money, 9 Oct. 2026
  • His laserlike focus on the particulars of the story doesn’t leave much room for extrapolation; even the infuriating case of bureaucratic overreach that the film depicts can easily be understood, and perhaps even defended, as an aberration.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of infuriate
Verb
  • The house took eight years to build on the property where the couple’s previous home burned during the 2018 Woolsey fire, along with Albuquerque’s studio, archive and many of her paintings.
    — Jane Horowitz, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The wall's stonework showed signs of fire damage, while archaeologists also uncovered burned seeds and the remains of a charred wooden building nearby.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of burn
Verb
  • No commercial goods have entered the Gaza Strip for two days, Israeli authorities said Thursday, blaming the suspension on merchants angered by taxes imposed by the militant group Hamas — a claim that Palestinian importers deny.
    — Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
  • The dispute over the report, which tackled an issue close to Weiss, forced CBS News to delay promotion of the episode and angered Stahl, who felt compelled to defend her reporting at a late stage of production.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of anger
Verb
  • Most include decks or private patios with firepits ignited by the turn of a switch.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Guyette and his colleagues increasingly suspected that fires were not natural but anthropogenic—ignited by people.
    — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of ignite
Verb
  • All of which makes Animals’s failure that much more heartbreaking and enraging.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Counsel was enraged that his gambit was foiled by one jury holdout on the insanity argument.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 2 Oct. 2026
Definition of enrage
Verb
  • Crockett's ex-Dem colleague goes scorched earth after endorsement snub.
    — , FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Video from the scene showed the front of the Guatemalan store scorched.
    — Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of scorch
Verb
  • Tactics such as ragebait have only added to the fatigue, irritating enthusiasts already frustrated by the relentless churn of slop.
    — Amy Francombe, Vogue, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Patients may be advised to use gentle, fragrance-free products, keep the area moisturized, and avoid anything that further irritates the skin.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of irritate
Verb
  • When lighting a miniature proved troublesome, the crew employed motion-control rigs to capture multiple exposures, enabling the lighting to be adjusted later in compositing.
    — Davide Abbatescianni, Variety, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Rihanna’s response lit the fuse as fans continued to gas their feud on social media.
    — Michael Saponara, Billboard, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of light

Browse Nearby Words

infixing
inflame
inflamed
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Cite this Entry

“Inflame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflame. Accessed 17 Oct. 2026.

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