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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in provocative
tending to excite political disorder or insurrection
recklessly made incendiary remarks during a period of heightened racial tensions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of incendiary
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 14 June 2024
Aiyuk is the next incendiary to go off, especially if Deebo Samuel can’t go.
—Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2024
Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 15 July 2025
Medvedev, long known for incendiary statements on social media, dismissed the ultimatum outright Monday.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for incendiary
Noun
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
Aiyuk is the next incendiary to go off, especially if Deebo Samuel can’t go.
—Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 26 Jan. 2024
Adjective
The moment drew immediate backlash online and in international media, with critics calling their comments incendiary.
—Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 15 July 2025
Medvedev, long known for incendiary statements on social media, dismissed the ultimatum outright Monday.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 31 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for incendiary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incendiary
Noun
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And Donnie goes on to say that, now, shining city was full of killers and foreign infiltrators and that ol’ Lady Liberty needed to be holding an AR-15 in place of her torch.—
Jason Mott
August 14,
Literary Hub,
14 Aug. 2025
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New York may be without Breanna Stewart, but the Liberty have kept the torch alight in her absence.—
Devin Robertson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Still, Paxton is more aligned with the MAGA firebrand base, and a network of pro-Trump influencers has been hammering Cornyn online for months.—
Ramsey Touchberry,
The Washington Examiner,
2 Aug. 2025
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This time around his firebrand style is something GOP strategists are confident can keep Democrats on defense in a blue state.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
27 July 2025
Adjective
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Palihapitiya’s perspective, while provocative, reflects a growing skepticism among some technologists about the durability of traditional intellectual property laws in the face of generative AI.—
Paulo Carvão,
Forbes.com,
12 Aug. 2025
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The movie was a hit among the critical community when it was released, with most noting how Melancholia departed from some of von Trier’s earlier, more provocative work.—
Sara Netzley,
EW.com,
10 Aug. 2025
Noun
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According to the International Committee of the Red Cross, last year was the worst year yet for peace in the country since a 2016 deal was struck between the FARC, Colombia’s largest rebel group, and the Colombian state.—
Ladan Anoushfar,
CNN Money,
6 Aug. 2025
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In 2024, a group of UN experts said that up to 4,000 Rwandan troops were fighting alongside the rebels.—
Pol Ballús,
New York Times,
30 July 2025
Adjective
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Several immigration attorneys criticized his comments as false and inflammatory in multiple media outlets.—
Doug Ross,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Aug. 2025
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What’s striking is the kind of inflammatory language the White House deploys.—
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
10 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Lahav emphasized that stringent measures would need to be taken in Israel's outreach to Iranian insurgent groups to avoid creating outcomes with the potential to be just as unfavorable, or even more unfavorable, to national and regional security.—
Tom O'Connor,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 July 2025
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Saturday’s bracket gets going with one-time tourney staple UCLA and insurgent Murray State.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
13 June 2025
Noun
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The Federal Communications Commission also proposed $5.1 million in fines against Wohl and Burkman, who gained prominence as conservative provocateurs in the years surrounding the 2020 election.—
Arpan Lobo,
Freep.com,
2 Aug. 2025
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The process leading to the deal’s approval, which was linked to two senior DOJ officials losing their jobs, briefly drew the ire of Laura Loomer, the right-wing online provocateur.—
Jim Edwards,
Fortune,
1 Aug. 2025
Noun
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Today a new generation of demagogues claim to be fighting to liberate aggrieved majorities from outsiders’ control.—
Derek R. Peterson,
The Conversation,
18 July 2025
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But today’s leaders, willfully do the biddings of billionaires and backed by demagogues in exchange for power and privilege, are ignoring that call.—
Jared Nordlund,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Incendiary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incendiary. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.
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