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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
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
Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026
Researchers have linked incendiary rhetoric about Muslims to spikes in discrimination and hate crimes in Europe and North America.
—Anna Piela, The Conversation, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for 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
On Friday, a 20-year-old man named Daniel Moreno-Gama traveled from Spring, Texas, to San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood and hurled an incendiary device at the gate of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s $27 million home, igniting a fire on the exterior gate.
—Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 14 Apr. 2026
Researchers have linked incendiary rhetoric about Muslims to spikes in discrimination and hate crimes in Europe and North America.
—Anna Piela, The Conversation, 13 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for incendiary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incendiary
Noun
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For Jafaar Jackson, part of picking up his uncle’s torch isn’t just about taking the spotlight on stage, but using art to uphold and inspire a community.—
Anna Ortiz,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Apr. 2026
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Watch as men tromp about with flashlights, set up torches.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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That would keep the seat vacated by conservative firebrand Marjorie Taylor Greene in Republican hands, but by a slimmer margin than in recent elections.—
Brett Pulley,
Bloomberg,
8 Apr. 2026
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But Isaacman has also positioned himself as a visionary firebrand in the space community who is ready for change.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN Money,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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That clear reference to a certain occupant of the White House and his political movement is by no means McKenzie’s most provocative statement on matters of urgent relevance.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2026
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This is the 11th anniversary of this often provocative and consistently pleasing festival, with films screening from April 24 to May 3 at the Davis Theater and Gene Siskel Film Center, and it is embellished by something new.—
Rick Kogan,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Julian is both old and a devout rebel, with a lifetime’s worth of wisdom, wit and burned bridges in his arsenal.—
Lindsey Bahr,
Boston Herald,
16 Apr. 2026
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Why isn’t Homelander lasering these rebels immediately?—
Ben Rosenstock,
Vulture,
15 Apr. 2026
Adjective
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But antibiotics also place bacteria under stress, and that stress can cause bacteria to release more extracellular vesicles carrying inflammatory molecules.—
Panteha Torabian,
The Conversation,
14 Apr. 2026
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Magnesium is essential for various bodily functions and helps maintain a balanced inflammatory response.—
Mira Miller,
Verywell Health,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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That year, Ukraine elected a Western-leaning government, preceding Russia’s seizure of the Crimean Peninsula and arming of insurgent groups to occupy parts of the industrialised east of the country.—
Colin Millar,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2026
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Myanmar's military junta doesn't control the whole territory; much of it is controlled by insurgent groups and warlords; while Cambodian politics has been dominated by one family since the 1980s.—
The Week UK,
TheWeek,
12 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Alliances with independents and provocateurs can bring younger crowds to the traditional news fold in an era when such viewership is not guaranteed.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
20 Apr. 2026
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For 15 years as a member of French psych pop provocateurs La Femme, Magnée and band members were walking billboards for retro chic fashion.—
Selena Fragassi,
SPIN,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Leftist demagogues specialize in lose-lose-lose policies.—
Editorial,
Boston Herald,
6 Apr. 2026
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When the populist demagogue Willie Stark orders Burden, journalist turned gumshoe, to dig up dirt on a local judge, Burden demurs; certainly there are no skeletons in the office of the good judge.—
Brenda Wineapple,
The New York Review of Books,
4 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Incendiary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incendiary. Accessed 21 Apr. 2026.
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