INFLAMES Synonyms: 108 Similar and Opposite Words

inflames

verb

variants also enflames

present tense third-person singular of inflame

as in angers

to make angry the newspaper editorial inflamed her enough to inspire her to dash off a letter to the editor

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as in burns

to set (something) on fire a carelessly tossed cigarette inflamed the papers in the trash can

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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 inflames Asthma is a chronic condition that inflames the airways and can make breathing difficult. — Sanja Jelic, Verywell Health, 29 Apr. 2026 The episode inflames the diplomatic spat between the two countries that began over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments about Taiwan. — J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 25 Mar. 2026 Sensational or biased language inflames opinion before readers learn the facts. — Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2026 Pause before sharing something that inflames fear or confusion. — Audra Berg, Sun Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2026 This is the kind of journalism that makes people distrust anything the news media tell us, and potentially wrongly inflames the public. — Arkansas Online, 28 Jan. 2026 Why vocabulary avoidance creates the space populists fill European governments spent a decade learning that sloppy language inflames prejudice. — Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 24 Jan. 2026 In other words, alcohol disrupts hydration, irritates the gut, inflames blood vessels, messes with sleep, and forces your liver into metabolic overdrive. — Ciara Lucas, SELF, 30 Dec. 2025 Pneumonia is an infection that inflames the sacs in one or both lungs, according to the Mayo Clinic. — Rebecca Cohen, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflames

Verb

Lai and his Democratic Progressive Party champion Taiwan’s separate identity from China, a position that frequently angers Beijing, which views the island as Chinese territory.

— Reuters, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026
The receptionist angers Kripke and Bert so much that they are picked up by the police — along with Stuart, who had also been arrested.

— Michael Schneider, Variety, 31 July 2026

Definition of angers

Verb

The report authors also looked at how climate change could play out differently if the world burns more or fewer fossil fuels and puts in place stronger or weaker policies.

— Blanca Begert, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026
Decades later, the fire lit by his first steed, a brown Schwinn Mag Scrambler, still burns bright.

— Stewart Clarke, Deadline, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of burns

Verb

The painting itself even ignites uncertainty among art historians.

— Chelsea Gohd, Space.com, 22 Oct. 2026
In modern nuclear weapons, conventional explosives set off a fission reaction—the splitting of big atoms—whose intensity then ignites a fusion reaction that combines light atoms.

— Sarah Scoles, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of ignites

Verb

The ghostly character doesn't have a particularly significant role in the story, but is a constant nuisance in the tapestry of Hogwarts with antics that include throwing things, making messes, pulling pranks, and generally causing mischief that enrages caretaker Argus Filch.

— Shania Russell, Entertainment Weekly, 15 June 2026
This is exactly the kind of mainstream Christian view that enrages Allie Beth Stuckey.

— Hillary Rodham Clinton, The Atlantic, 29 Jan. 2026

Definition of enrages

Verb

The city is bracing for triple digit temperatures this week as another heat wave scorches Central and Eastern Europe, driving fears that levels could drop even further.

— Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 5 Aug. 2026
France followed its hottest-ever day with yet more brutal temperatures as a deadly heat wave scorches much of western Europe.

— Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 24 June 2026

Definition of scorches

Verb

Patients may be advised to use gentle, fragrance-free products, keep the area moisturized, and avoid anything that further irritates the skin.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 Oct. 2026
Knowing that Madame Lalouette’s sales numbers are too high to fire her, Carla attempts to transfer Madame Morel to a different department — a move that irritates her superiors and highlights her weakness.

— Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 9 Sep. 2026

Definition of irritates

Verb

While Martin Scorsese called it one of the scariest movies of all time, The Uninvited kindles a wonderful romance between Rick and Stella.

— Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
The star of Big Little Lies confessed her new film, Caught Stealing, kindles a powerful yearning for some aspects of the era.

— Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025

Definition of kindles

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“Inflames.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflames. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of inflames

verb

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