INCENDIARY Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

incendiary 1 of 2

noun

Definition of incendiary

as in torch

a person who deliberately and unlawfully sets fire to a building or other property firefighters caught the incendiary, who was watching the effects of his handiwork

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in firebrand

a person who stirs up public feelings especially of discontent blamed the protests on outside incendiaries who were intent on overthrowing the government

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

incendiary

2 of 2

adjective

in-ˈsen-dē-ˌer-ē

as in provocative

tending to excite political disorder or insurrection recklessly made incendiary remarks during a period of heightened racial tensions

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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 incendiary

Noun

Ukrainian officers also accused Russia of using incendiaries in attacks on the city of Bakhmut last year. — Brad Lendon, CNN, 7 Sep. 2024 But the only traditional incendiaries in the story are the radical Protestant preacher Anne Askew (Erin Doherty), a friend of Katherine’s, and Henry’s minion, Bishop Stephen Gardiner, played by an inquisitorial Simon Russell Beale. — Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 14 June 2024

Adjective

Or were certain companies unwilling to take on the incendiary film due to their increasingly direct connections to Big Tech? — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026 But the most incendiary details in Swan Song concern what Charles may or may not have said to Spencer in the days after Diana’s death, nearly 30 years ago. — Ashley Baker, Air Mail, 3 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for incendiary

Recent Examples of Synonyms for incendiary

Noun

Roybal endorsed Becerra, whose victory in the heavily Latino district that included Central and Eastside Los Angeles communities, was seen as a passing of the torch to the next generation.

— Ben Wieder, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
To the right, artificial houseplants stand in a currently dry fountain bedecked in blue light, and presided over by statue holding a candelabra-style light fixture like a torch.

— Adam Harrington, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of torch

Noun

The ultra-nationalist party is led by Itamar Ben-Gvir, a far-right firebrand once deemed too extreme to serve in Israel’s military.

— Eric Cortellessa, Time, 22 Oct. 2026
Cruz, a conservative firebrand, is trying to rally the party’s base in a year where Republicans fear many of their voters will stay home.

— Matthew Choi, Washington Post, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of firebrand

Adjective

The compelling series achieves a provocative dissection of it all with rare confidence without the overindulgence of distracting CGI tossed in for sheer spectacle.

— Jeff Spry, Space.com, 17 Oct. 2026
The latest comments therefore seemed predictable to regular viewers, rather than unexpectedly provocative.

— Omar L. Gallaga, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of provocative

Noun

The war next door United Nations experts have documented Rwandan military support for M23 rebels, which have seized territory in eastern DRC.

— Nimi Princewill, CNN Money, 22 Oct. 2026
But the rebels also have an array of relatively cheap drones, including weapons supplied by Iran, and locally made copies of Iranian attack drones.

— Frank Andrews, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of rebel

Adjective

And a Gallup poll last year revealed a majority of Americans feel that both parties have gone too far in their use of inflammatory rhetoric to criticize their opponents.

— Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 18 Oct. 2026
Bronchial asthma, or simply asthma, is, according to the Cleveland Clinic, a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways that causes the breathing tubes in the lungs to swell, narrow, and produce extra mucus.

— Greg Evans, Deadline, 17 Oct. 2026

Definition of inflammatory

Noun

Raman, who now occupies the insurgent role in the race, seemed to see the fires less as an indictment of the system than of Bass.

— Benjamin Wallace-Wells, New Yorker, 18 Oct. 2026
Rwanda has acknowledged defensive â€œsecurity coordinationâ€� with the M23 insurgents, who have held large swaths of mineral-rich eastern DR Congo for more than a year.

— Ruben Nyanguila, semafor.com, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of insurgent

Noun

Feigenbaum offered a more cautious interpretation, describing some of the violent perpetrators as fringe provocateurs who exploit broader demonstrations without necessarily directing them.

— Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Mungiu’s prickly, nonjudgmental studies of human behavior have sometimes led him to be branded as a provocateur.

— Tim Grierson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of provocateur

Noun

Unsheltered intertwined two plots related to the precarity of American life and the danger of demagogues—one set at the dawn of the MAGA era.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
Unsheltered intertwined two plots related to the precarity of American life and the danger of demagogues — one set at the dawn of the MAGA era.

— Sam Worley, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026

Definition of demagogue

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incendiaries

incendiary

incense

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“Incendiary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incendiary. Accessed 25 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of incendiary

noun

adjective

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