firebugs

plural of firebug
as in torches
a person who deliberately and unlawfully sets fire to a building or other property after the second suspicious fire, police set a trap for the firebug

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for firebugs
torches
Noun
  • Protesting steelworkers walked around the Riverside pitch in 2015, torches lit on their mobile phones.
    Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
  • The bundle also includes four torches to keep the bugs at bay.
    Amber Harding OutKick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Firebugs.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/firebugs. Accessed 17 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster