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

Relevance

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

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

Police investigators also received information indicating that Pentek possessed multiple firearms and incendiary devices, the release said. — Pioneer Press, Chicago Tribune, 2 Nov. 2026 Piker is frequently attacked by right-wing media outlets for his sometimes incendiary takes on world events. — Brian Niemietz, New York Daily News, 28 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for incendiary

Recent Examples of Synonyms for incendiary

Noun

At its very top, the structure features a golden-hued cherub hoisting a flaming torch that recalls a smaller version of the Statue of Liberty.

— Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2026
Her guest appearance functions as both a self-aware gesture from the quintessential millennial and an implicit passing of the messy-young-adult torch.

— Judy Berman, Time, 6 Nov. 2026

Definition of torch

Noun

There’s definitely a strain of rage that runs through dark comedy, which suggests the Oscar-winning director is still in touch with his inner Clash-loving firebrand.

— David Fear, Rolling Stone, 8 Nov. 2026
The Republican losses indiscriminately wiped out GOP firebrands, moderates and veteran conservatives nationwide.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of firebrand

Noun

The rebel group, in turn, continues to target Saudi infrastructure, including the King Khalid International Airport in the capital Riyadh, and oil facilities.

— Clarissa Ward, CNN Money, 12 Nov. 2026
The District 13 rebels and the Capitol engage in a series of attacks, counterattacks, and clandestine missions.

— Sophia Zhang, Encyclopedia Britannica, 12 Nov. 2026

Definition of rebel

Adjective

By July, morale among immigration officers had dipped below its nadir during the Biden Administration, with agents now complaining of being overextended, inundated with novice recruits, and undermined by inflammatory rhetoric from on high.

— Francisco Cantú, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
So far, their most significant finding has been identifying cells in menstrual blood that express inflammatory biomarkers predictive of endometriosis.

— Fiorella Valdesolo, Allure, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of inflammatory

Noun

From Georgia, South Carolina and Texas in the South to Ohio, Kansas and Iowa in the Midwest, insurgent Democrats not only won but did so with significant margins -- with notable shifts in key demographic groups and voting blocs.

— Elizabeth Schreier, ABC News, 4 Nov. 2026
Kiros' primary win was part of a wave of leftwing insurgent victories in the spring and summer that kindled the Democratic Party's fight over the direction of the party.

— CBS News, CBS News, 4 Nov. 2026

Definition of insurgent

Noun

There is also something faintly touching about watching two professional provocateurs congratulate each other on their courage.

— Anna Rahmanan, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Nov. 2026
Unsurprisingly given Greaves’ role as a provocateur, Dead Deities is a political project as much as an artistic one.

— Sadie Sartini Garner, Pitchfork, 30 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

Browse Nearby Words

incendiaries

incendiary

incense

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Incendiary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incendiary. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of incendiary

noun

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

lissome

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes