igniting

verb

present participle of ignite
as in burning
to set (something) on fire tried using newspapers as kindling to ignite the logs in the fireplace

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 igniting Prosecutors this week unveiled a new indictment against the man accused of igniting last year’s deadly fire in the Palisades, nixing one of the three original charges and revising the other two after a mistrial in federal court this summer. — Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026 The potential lightning strikes would also pose an immediate risk of igniting new wildfires across dry inland terrain and vegetation. — Carlos E. Castañeda, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026 Now, authorities say a man is responsible for starting one of those fires — and has admitted to igniting multiple previous blazes in the same area dating back to last year, according to prosecutors. — Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026 Fueled by hot, dry and windy conditions, the Bug Fire grew to nearly 27 square miles (69 square kilometers) after igniting Saturday in California. — ABC News, 10 Aug. 2026 The slump came after the company announced that Jeff Dean, its chief scientist, was departing the company, re-igniting worries about the loss of top talent. — Natasha Abellard, CNBC, 6 Aug. 2026 Investigators said hot material fell from the tower into dry vegetation below, igniting a fire that rapidly spread during powerful Santa Ana wind conditions. — James Ward, USA Today, 5 Aug. 2026 Through her writing, Bowser demonstrates her commitment to illuminating the untold, challenging perspectives and igniting conversations that resonate beyond the headlines. — Martie Bowser, Forbes.com, 1 Aug. 2026 Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey has been a lightning rod for controversy ever since the first casting and design reveals, igniting afresh with each new trailer. — ArsTechnica, 1 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for igniting
  1. burning
  2. scorching
  3. kindling
  4. torching
  5. inflaming
Verb
  • That giant wood burning fireplace is the perfect spot to enjoy a whiskey, neat.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Aug. 2026
  • In one 1989 case, the Supreme Court ruled that burning the American flag is protected by the First Amendment.
    — Grace Hase, Mercury News, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of burning
Verb
  • Pyroclastic flows – fast-moving clouds of scorching gas, ash, and rock – could devastate territory near the caldera.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026
  • The event unfolded against the backdrop of scorching summer temperatures and wildfires, and Spanish officials rolled out a large public safety campaign.
    — Suman Naishadham, Chicago Tribune, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of scorching
Verb
  • Even minor parks or embers might be carried into leaves or grass, kindling a fire that can swiftly expand.
    — CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026
  • Photography arrived, kindling an enthusiasm that Baudelaire, ever the cynic, compared to a lust for pornography.
    — Cal Revely-Calder, New Yorker, 29 June 2026
Definition of kindling
Verb
  • The Claremont Fire in the Boise Foothills had scorched 6,800 acres of terrain by Tuesday afternoon, torching sagebrush and shrubs, wildflowers and weeds, and narrowly avoiding homes.
    — Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 15 July 2026
  • But everyday people expressed their political outrage time and again, throwing rocks at and demolishing the houses of government officials, torching the king’s ships and forts and, eventually, marching to battle.
    — Robert Parkinson, The Conversation, 24 June 2026
Definition of torching
Verb
  • China is increasingly worried about North Korea’s role in creating and intensifying these risks—and about the need to adjust its North Korea strategy to manage them without inflaming tensions and further destabilizing the region.
    — ZHENG JIYONG, Foreign Affairs, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Chad Gable spent much of last year recovering from surgery after inflaming lucha libre fans with his El Grande Americano gimmick.
    — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026
Definition of inflaming

Browse Nearby Words

ignites
igniting
ignoble
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Cite this Entry

“Igniting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/igniting. Accessed 20 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on igniting

Nglish: Translation of igniting for Spanish Speakers

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