as in burning
to set (something) on fire
tried using newspapers as kindling to ignite the logs in the fireplace
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Recent Examples of igniting
Miley Cyrus After winning the first two Grammys of her nearly 20-year-career in February and igniting the ceremony with the most spirited performance of the night, Cyrus seemed destined to become a permanent fixture on the nominations chart.
—
Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025
Advertisement Far from igniting a baby boom, the White House plan will only slightly decrease costs and fail people who most need IVF to grow their families.
—Madison Chapman, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
After a tumultuous back-and-forth situation that sees Lawrence and Issa re-igniting the flame, an accidental pregnancy for Condola and Lawrence flips everything on its head.
—John Ortved, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2025
Despite her individual success, the Wings fell to a 10-34 record, last place in the league standings, promptly firing coach Chris Koclanes and igniting a search for a new bench boss.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
So Hernandez was allowed to compete as a girl, become a national spectacle, and then play out a final high school volleyball season, igniting protests from opponents and teammates alike.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2025
But perhaps more importantly, Cork Tree helped the band become the therapists pumping through the speakers of a whole generation of skinny jean-wearing teens, igniting the pop-punk and emo music scene into a blazing force for the masses.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2025
Aeration makes big openings in the soil that allow valuable elements to filter in, re-igniting the soil’s microbial life that will further assist with creating healthy soil conditions.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Oct. 2025
Two people were killed and 10 had to be rescued after debris from a drone attack hit a 16-story residential building in Kyiv’s Dniprovskiy district, igniting a fire, according to Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko and the Kyiv city office.
—Michael Rios, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 7 Nov. 2025
Advertisement Far from igniting a baby boom, the White House plan will only slightly decrease costs and fail people who most need IVF to grow their families.
—Madison Chapman, Time, 30 Oct. 2025
After a tumultuous back-and-forth situation that sees Lawrence and Issa re-igniting the flame, an accidental pregnancy for Condola and Lawrence flips everything on its head.
—John Ortved, Vogue, 29 Oct. 2025
Despite her individual success, the Wings fell to a 10-34 record, last place in the league standings, promptly firing coach Chris Koclanes and igniting a search for a new bench boss.
—Rowan Fisher-Shotton, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
So Hernandez was allowed to compete as a girl, become a national spectacle, and then play out a final high school volleyball season, igniting protests from opponents and teammates alike.
—Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2025
But perhaps more importantly, Cork Tree helped the band become the therapists pumping through the speakers of a whole generation of skinny jean-wearing teens, igniting the pop-punk and emo music scene into a blazing force for the masses.
—Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2025
Aeration makes big openings in the soil that allow valuable elements to filter in, re-igniting the soil’s microbial life that will further assist with creating healthy soil conditions.
—Megan Hughes, Better Homes & Gardens, 22 Oct. 2025
Two people were killed and 10 had to be rescued after debris from a drone attack hit a 16-story residential building in Kyiv’s Dniprovskiy district, igniting a fire, according to Kyiv’s mayor Vitali Klitschko and the Kyiv city office.
—Michael Rios, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for igniting
Verb
-
Chamberlin Fire has been burning on federal land managed by the National Park Service for three hours.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
11 Nov. 2025
-
The company built a retail and residential complex around the county’s Coconut Grove Metrorail station, and Martin also is pitching an incinerator site in western Miami-Dade as an alternative to the Levine Cava plan to rebuild the trash-burning facility in Doral.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
4 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
But the Heat found its rhythm as the game went on, shooting a scorching 26 of 34 for the rest of the first half to flip the script and enter halftime with 72-65 lead.—
Anthony Chiang,
Miami Herald,
8 Nov. 2025
-
The fire had engulfed McCarty, scorching 73% of his body, leaving him with scars that would last an entire lifetime to come.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
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,
27 Oct. 2025
-
There's a lot of kindling around, and there's a lot of like newspapers that can catch on fire.—
Keith Sharon,
Nashville Tennessean,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Or was somebody torching tar shingles on a roof somewhere?—
Ryan Knighton,
AFAR Media,
31 Oct. 2025
-
In 1992, the Serbian military burned down the National and University Library of Bosnia and Herzegovina, torching thousands of historic manuscripts.—
Ryan Byrnes,
Literary Hub,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Visiting the shrine as prime minister would risk inflaming anger in the region.—
Jordan King,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
-
Hollywood these days feels really fearful of enflaming conservative ire.—
David Amsden,
Rolling Stone,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Igniting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/igniting. Accessed 20 Nov. 2025.
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