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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
Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Less than 24 hours after making those incendiary comments about a job title and more, Amorim was removed from his post.
—Stuart James, New York Times, 6 Jan. 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
Miller is now acting as an accelerant for the president’s most incendiary impulses and shaping the lives of individual Americans in nearly every realm.
—Michael Scherer, The Atlantic, 7 Jan. 2026
Less than 24 hours after making those incendiary comments about a job title and more, Amorim was removed from his post.
—Stuart James, New York Times, 6 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for incendiary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incendiary
Noun
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Once the Olympics get underway, events will run through February 22, with the Closing Ceremony concluding the Milano Cortina Games and handing off the torch to France, host nation of the French Alps 2030 Winter Olympics.—
Michelle Bruton,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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On June 8, 2024, Avery and Lexi carried the opening torch at the soccer match for Gotham FC and Angel City Football Club—two of Avery’s favorite teams.—
Isabella Backman,
Hartford Courant,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Trump’s proposal echoes a long-standing push by progressive Democrats and a few conservative firebrands on Capitol Hill to implement credit card interest rate caps, which would limit the fee a card issuer can charge consumers who carry a balance past their due date.—
Sudiksha Kochi,
The Hill,
15 Jan. 2026
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While Collier and Stewart have accepted the duty to be labor firebrands, one of their UConn teammates, Morgan Tuck, is making her mark on the management side, as the youngest GM in the WNBA.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
15 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Raenah Birdlong, 33, who did not fire any shots, was charged under the provocative act doctrine, meaning her actions led to the death and wounding of the two men, authorities said.—
Harry Harris,
Mercury News,
23 Jan. 2026
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Commentators frame the idea as fanciful or provocative.—
Paul McCarthy,
Boston Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Annabeth and Grover tell Percy that Chiron has returned, Luke has vanished, and the monsters and rebels have been driven away from the camp.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
21 Jan. 2026
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Dylan The ultimate high school rebel with a heart of gold.—
Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal,
Parents,
19 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Over the next few months, these two tabloids would produce an immense volume of increasingly inflammatory reports on this shooting.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
28 Jan. 2026
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Demonstrators have taken to the streets in response to the shootings, accusing federal authorities of excessive force, while law enforcement officials warn that misinformation and inflammatory rhetoric have fueled anger and confrontations.—
Stepheny Price , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
27 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Israel — home to more Holocaust survivors than any other country — marks its remembrance day, Yom HaShoah, on the anniversary of the April 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, emphasizing the heroism of the Jewish insurgents who resisted the Nazi terror.—
Vanessa Gera,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Jan. 2026
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According to two senior government officials, the Canadian armed forces were drafting insurgent-like tactics mirroring those used by the Taliban to fight back against the US invasion of Afghanistan.—
Joe Wilkins Published Jan 21,
Futurism,
21 Jan. 2026
Noun
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In 1988, when the Sun-Times sports section was seeking a provocateur, Boers was the choice.—
Phil Rosenthal,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
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Local far-right provocateur David Pettinger attended the Wednesday hearing to air rumors that swirled online that the bill was backed by Israel, which is thousands of miles away.—
Idaho Statesman,
Idaho Statesman,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Where is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Zohran Mamdani and the rest of the radical fringe left who take every opportunity to demagogue and slander Israel, and yet not one word about Iran?—
Bobby Zirkin,
Baltimore Sun,
8 Jan. 2026
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In turn, the erosion of trust has weakened the social contract that sustains representative government, leaving democracies more vulnerable to populist demagogues, institutional paralysis, and the gradual normalization of authoritarian alternatives.—
NIC CHEESEMAN,
Foreign Affairs,
16 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Incendiary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incendiary. Accessed 31 Jan. 2026.
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