as in to burn
to set (something) on fire
tried using newspapers as kindling to ignite the logs in the fireplace
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 ignite
The incident ignited a national debate on racial profiling and Islamophobia, culminating in an invitation to the White House for Mohamed from President Barack Obama.
—
Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Freeland took exception to Rafael Devers’ admiration of his first-inning home run, igniting the benches-clearing episode.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025
Swift’s drink is served wrapped in steel wool, which the server ignites at the table, causing sparks to fly.
—Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
Every trip to the electric chair is horrifying; a sequence where an intentionally botched execution ignites a still-living prisoner's screaming head in ghoulish blue flames is up there with any supernatural fright King's ever conceived.
—James Grebey, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ignite
Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Freeland took exception to Rafael Devers’ admiration of his first-inning home run, igniting the benches-clearing episode.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025
Swift’s drink is served wrapped in steel wool, which the server ignites at the table, causing sparks to fly.
—Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
Every trip to the electric chair is horrifying; a sequence where an intentionally botched execution ignites a still-living prisoner's screaming head in ghoulish blue flames is up there with any supernatural fright King's ever conceived.
—James Grebey, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ignite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ignite
Verb
-
Lapin and her family were among the more than 150,000 people throughout Los Angeles forced to evacuate their homes because of the blazes, which burned more than 40,000 acres and destroyed over 16,000 structures.—
Meredith Wilshere,
People.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Historic data In 2024, California experienced 305 fires caused by lightning, resulting in 90,206 acres of wildland burned, according to NIFC records.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The scorching-hot Gonzalez exited with knee soreness, the Red Sox announced.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
10 Sep. 2025
-
This is a big deal as the new process requires no crushing pressure or scorching heat.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Ben Hania lights a connective fuse between documentary and drama, using the actual recordings of the panicked girl and the emergency workers — the latter played by actors who hold the screen with pulsing immediacy.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Everyone's got something that lights them up.—
David Oliver,
USA Today,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
As the immune system fights the infection, the tissues in the urinary tract become inflamed.—
Mark Gurarie,
Health,
13 Sep. 2025
-
The government's initial response, which blamed opposition factions rather than acknowledging excessive force, further inflamed tensions.—
Sonal Nain,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ignite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ignite. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share