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
The fatal shooting of a 1-year-old boy by police who were responding to a shoplifting call this past weekend has ignited simmering tensions between police and Black residents in the small town of Senatobia, Miss.
—
Travis Loller, Arkansas Online, 20 June 2026
The original fire ignited Sunday in grassy flats near Krome Avenue during a thunderstorm before splitting into the Quarry 2 Fire and the Wells Fire.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 20 June 2026
After impressive victories over Paraguay and Australia to open the World Cup, the United States men’s national team has ignited a fever-pitch buzz across the country.
—Darren Sabedra, Mercury News, 20 June 2026
When planning his funeral, an unintended slight could ignite the reordering of eulogists or the dropping and replacement of a pallbearer, only for them to be brought back again days later.
—Griffin Dunne, Vulture, 19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ignite
Travis Loller, Arkansas Online, 20 June 2026
The original fire ignited Sunday in grassy flats near Krome Avenue during a thunderstorm before splitting into the Quarry 2 Fire and the Wells Fire.
—Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 20 June 2026
After impressive victories over Paraguay and Australia to open the World Cup, the United States men’s national team has ignited a fever-pitch buzz across the country.
—Darren Sabedra, Mercury News, 20 June 2026
When planning his funeral, an unintended slight could ignite the reordering of eulogists or the dropping and replacement of a pallbearer, only for them to be brought back again days later.
—Griffin Dunne, Vulture, 19 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for ignite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ignite
Verb
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Most of the smoke is coming from the Iron Fire in Utah, which has burned more than 21,000 acres.—
Joe Ruch,
CBS News,
23 June 2026
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The world has known that adding heat-trapping gases to the atmosphere by burning fossil fuels and cutting down forests will warm the globe, said Jennifer Francis, a climate scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center on Cape Cod, who was not involved in the research.—
Alexa St. John,
Fortune,
22 June 2026
Verb
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An uncontained blaze in Utah’s Juab County has scorched 34 square miles, forcing the evacuation of Eureka and nearby ranches as firefighters race to shield homes amid fierce winds.—
Valerie Gonzalez,
Los Angeles Times,
22 June 2026
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The heat wave is expected to scorch Spain at least through Wednesday.—
Oleg Cetinic,
Fortune,
22 June 2026
Verb
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No video evidence exists to show exactly how the Lachman fire started, much less that Rinderknecht was the one who lit the blaze.—
Brittny Mejia,
Los Angeles Times,
24 June 2026
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Opt for sconces and hanging lights, rather than lamps or lighting pieces that take up floorspace.—
Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar,
Architectural Digest,
23 June 2026
Verb
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But now, new information has inflamed the community, saying this axing was part of some plot to get back at Bungie for its transgressions against Sony.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
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Even scarier data was reported in 2025 by a team of Harvard cardiologists, who found a direct link between ALAN, brain stress, inflamed arteries, and heart disease.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
17 June 2026
Verb
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The suspect allegedly fired several shots at Majied.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
23 June 2026
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The Israeli military says 36 Israeli soldiers and four civilians were killed, as Hezbollah fired thousands of rockets and drones into northern Israel and Israeli troops in southern Lebanon.—
Tal Shalev,
CNN Money,
23 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ignite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ignite. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
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