as in to burn
to set (something) on fire
tried using newspapers as kindling to ignite the logs in the fireplace
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Recent Examples of ignite
Candles placed inside pumpkins or near flowing costumes can quickly ignite fabric or synthetic wigs, causing burns.
—
Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
Judging by the array of halter styles at NYLBFW from silky and slinky at Alexandra Grecco to more ornate at Francesca Miranda, Gomez ignited a new neckline trend that will certainly be walking down many aisles soon.
—Emily Mercer, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2025
His arrest in July ignited weeks of protests outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, a migrant housing site about 20 miles north of London, according to the report.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
One fails to ignite; the other misses the target.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ignite
Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2025
Judging by the array of halter styles at NYLBFW from silky and slinky at Alexandra Grecco to more ornate at Francesca Miranda, Gomez ignited a new neckline trend that will certainly be walking down many aisles soon.
—Emily Mercer, Footwear News, 24 Oct. 2025
His arrest in July ignited weeks of protests outside the Bell Hotel in Epping, a migrant housing site about 20 miles north of London, according to the report.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 24 Oct. 2025
One fails to ignite; the other misses the target.
—Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ignite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ignite
Verb
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Sometimes lightning hits the mountainside and splits or burns a tree.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
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There's a burning frustration like in the rest of the country.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
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But the Browns are 2-6 with little to look forward to, prompting Cleveland radio host Ken Carman to go scorched earth and call for Sanders, the Colorado alum, to start.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
28 Oct. 2025
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That’s the difference between fury that scorches everything in sight and anger that fuels justice.—
Marc Brackett,
Time,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As Elphaba’s powers grow stronger and Nessarose flies out of her chair, the shoes glow as if lit from within.—
Jazz Tangcay,
Variety,
30 Oct. 2025
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While foreign investors lit the fuse on this year’s rally, domestic players have taken the baton forward.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When a conversation is heading in a negative direction, the goal should be to defuse tempers, not inflame.—
Sara Rowe Mount,
Parents,
30 Oct. 2025
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Trump has already inflamed that speculation.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
29 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ignite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ignite. Accessed 3 Nov. 2025.
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