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
That was nearly five years after Richard Reid unsuccessfully tried to ignite explosives in his sneakers on an American Airlines flight from Paris to Miami.
—
Jacob Sullum, Oc Register, 19 July 2025
While the cause of the fire couldn’t be conclusively determined, authorities said flames may have been ignited by smoking materials that weren’t properly discarded.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 18 July 2025
The Dragon Bravo Fire, ignited by lightning, has consumed over 11,000 acres in Grand Canyon National Park.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 17 July 2025
But there is a wider discontent among the MAGA base that the president must contend with as well, according to experts, who point out how parts of the populist movement that ignited his initial candidacy in 2016 and catapulted him back to power last year are beginning to feel alienated.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for ignite
Jacob Sullum, Oc Register, 19 July 2025
While the cause of the fire couldn’t be conclusively determined, authorities said flames may have been ignited by smoking materials that weren’t properly discarded.
—Muri Assunção, New York Daily News, 18 July 2025
The Dragon Bravo Fire, ignited by lightning, has consumed over 11,000 acres in Grand Canyon National Park.
—Jose R. Gonzalez, AZCentral.com, 17 July 2025
But there is a wider discontent among the MAGA base that the president must contend with as well, according to experts, who point out how parts of the populist movement that ignited his initial candidacy in 2016 and catapulted him back to power last year are beginning to feel alienated.
—Phillip M. Bailey, USA Today, 12 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for ignite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ignite
Verb
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The pair, who met as college undergrads, both burned with idealism and recognized their privilege could be leveraged for a game-changing idea.—
Carole Horst,
Variety,
13 Sep. 2023
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The Ellen MacArthur Foundation promotes circular fashion and says that, in the United States, an amount of clothing equal to a garbage truck is ferried to landfills or burned every second.—
Neeti Mehra,
Treehugger,
13 Sep. 2023
Verb
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Here are the main takeaways from today’s on-track action in Hungary: Lando Norris set the pace in FP1, with a scorching 1:16.052 on the soft tires, ahead of Oscar Piastri by 0.019 seconds and 0.217 seconds clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.—
Alex Kalinauckas,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
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But estimates say the Dragon Bravo Fire has scorched 71,000 acres and is only 9% contained, Inciweb reported.—
Michelle Cruz,
AZCentral.com,
29 July 2025
Verb
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However, the set up casts light far beyond the highway, extending onto beaches even 12 miles away, including Little St. Simons and Sapelo.—
Julianna Bragg,
CNN Money,
26 July 2025
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Earlier this week, McIntyre lit into Scott with some NSFW criticisms of the rapper, a sign that WWE’s relationship with Scott was on the ropes.—
Blake Oestriecher,
Forbes.com,
26 July 2025
Verb
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But instead of dispelling speculation about the case, the memo only inflamed things further, putting the administration in the hot seat.—
Zac Anderson,
USA Today,
23 July 2025
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Meanwhile, waves of migrants continue arriving by boat, further inflaming public frustration over unchecked immigration.—
Michael Dorgan,
FOXNews.com,
20 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ignite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ignite. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
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