The torches reference a story in Kurdish mythology in which a courageous blacksmith assembles an army of villagers and kills a murderous king — signaling with the mountain-top flames that the Kurds are free.
—
Jane Arraf,
NPR,
21 Mar. 2026
The men rushed him with the torches repeatedly but could not drive him farther than the edge of the thick brush.
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.