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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 Turley has argued that lawyers have an ethical obligation not to inflame public anger against jurors who exercise independent judgment during deliberations. — Brittany Miller , Bryan Llenas, FOXNews.com, 11 Sep. 2026 This incident continued to come up all season, dividing the group and inflaming the relationship between the Bookos and married couple Janet and Jason Caperna. — Kate Aurthur, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026 Injection sites can become infected, and veins can become inflamed or blocked by clots. — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 26 Aug. 2026 The attack killed at least five lower-ranking Hamas members and inflamed Middle East tensions as Israel continued to wage war against Hamas in Gaza. — ABC News, 25 Aug. 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
  • Some administration officials argue that Washington is merely trying to avoid unnecessarily infuriating Beijing.
    — David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Some descendants worry that the new research from Kurin and his colleagues will only infuriate die-hard Jefferson apologists further.
    — Andrew Lawler, The Atlantic, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of infuriate
Verb
  • In Indonesia, farmers rely on rain to dissolve fertilizers into the soil to avoid burning the plants, explained Eddy Martono, chairman of the Indonesian Palm Oil Association.
    — EDNA TARIGAN, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The greatest health risks arise when tobacco is burned, which generates thousands of toxic substances, including carcinogens, carbon monoxide and fine particulate matter.
    — Hasmeena Kathuria, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of burn
Verb
  • Abiy also angered Somalia by trying to negotiate access to the sea via the territory of Somaliland.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Sep. 2026
  • That is, Lamashtu spoke out about something that angered and disgusted the divine patriarch, and she was cast down to earth.
    — Eleanor Johnson, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of anger
Verb
  • The James Madison transfer broke the deadlock against Maryland on a fourth-and-one near midfield, taking a direct snap 45 yards to the house and igniting scoring that seemingly never stopped.
    — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Still, the perception that the food supply is riskier has been enough to ignite political rancor.
    — Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of ignite
Verb
  • The drama reignited a heated debate over the tech threatening to put human creatives in the industry out of a job, a nightmare scenario that has enraged some of the most influential minds in Hollywood.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Monken has decided to stick with Deshaun Watson as his QB1, a move that has confused and enraged some of the fanbase.
    — Takashi Williams, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of enrage
Verb
  • Check between presses to avoid overheating or scorching the fabric.
    — Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Keep in mind that heat still radiates from the bulb, so the lamp should sit on a stable surface away from paper, fabric or anything else that could scorch.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of scorch
Verb
  • The gaps that irritate people daily are rarely the gaps that can hurt the company.
    — Jeremy Bradley-Silverio Donato, Forbes.com, 25 Sep. 2026
  • This metric is a little misleading—most bills that get introduced never go anywhere—and the claim tends to irritate Collins’s critics.
    — Emma Green, New Yorker, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of irritate
Verb
  • Hundreds of others were there lighting small squat candles in their cedar-plank lanterns.
    — Tim Carter, Hartford Courant, 26 Sep. 2026
  • As the music intensifies, so does the questioning, as Fielder continues to push Holmes and Evans about what’s real and what’s being hidden from him as moodily lighted close-up shots flash.
    — Anthony Solorzano, Los Angeles Times, 23 Sep. 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 29 Sep. 2026.

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