variants
also enflaming
1
as in angering
to make angry
the newspaper editorial inflamed her enough to inspire her to dash off a letter to the editor
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in igniting
to set (something) on fire
a carelessly tossed cigarette inflamed the papers in the trash can
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
variants
also enflaming
as in hostile
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
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 inflaming
David Amsden, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2025
The prolonged conflict has forced reservists to serve multiple lengthy tours of duty, while inflaming longstanding resentment of ultra-Orthodox Jews, who are exempt from military service.
—New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
The Modern Family cast has indeed reunited in various permutations over the years — none of them inflaming fan paranoia as much as 2023's reunion-sans-Burrell.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Sep. 2025
Disney stated the show was initially pulled to avoid inflaming a tense national situation.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 24 Sep. 2025
Spreading misinformation, inflaming tensions Critics argued that Kirk thrived on outrage and intimidation rather than debate.
—Stephanie A, The Conversation, 11 Sep. 2025
According to congressional sources, senators have not been briefed as of Monday night, further inflaming demands for oversight.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 8 Sep. 2025
Plans for national security adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright to also travel to Denmark are further inflaming tensions between Washington and Copenhagen and Nuuk, Greenland’s capital.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 25 Mar. 2025
Allergens can trigger an allergic reaction in some people, irritating and inflaming the airways and producing symptoms such as wheezing or difficulty breathing.
—Cory Martin, Verywell Health, 17 Mar. 2025
Adjective
Hollywood these days feels really fearful of enflaming conservative ire.
—David Amsden, Rolling Stone, 7 Oct. 2025
The prolonged conflict has forced reservists to serve multiple lengthy tours of duty, while inflaming longstanding resentment of ultra-Orthodox Jews, who are exempt from military service.
—New York Times, 7 Oct. 2025
The Modern Family cast has indeed reunited in various permutations over the years — none of them inflaming fan paranoia as much as 2023's reunion-sans-Burrell.
—Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Sep. 2025
Disney stated the show was initially pulled to avoid inflaming a tense national situation.
—Marina Johnson, Louisville Courier Journal, 24 Sep. 2025
Spreading misinformation, inflaming tensions Critics argued that Kirk thrived on outrage and intimidation rather than debate.
—Stephanie A, The Conversation, 11 Sep. 2025
According to congressional sources, senators have not been briefed as of Monday night, further inflaming demands for oversight.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 8 Sep. 2025
Plans for national security adviser Mike Waltz and Energy Secretary Chris Wright to also travel to Denmark are further inflaming tensions between Washington and Copenhagen and Nuuk, Greenland’s capital.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 25 Mar. 2025
Allergens can trigger an allergic reaction in some people, irritating and inflaming the airways and producing symptoms such as wheezing or difficulty breathing.
—Cory Martin, Verywell Health, 17 Mar. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflaming
Verb
-
Following physical and emotional abuse, Lafferty became an anxious child who was constantly afraid of angering adults around her.—
Stephanie Nolasco,
FOXNews.com,
4 Oct. 2025
-
The new program, Train SMART, also risks angering a network of grassroots chapters and gun violence prevention volunteers at Everytown.—
Nick Penzenstadler,
USA Today,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The rapid escalation of trade tensions between the world’s two largest economies has sunk stocks, rattling investors and industries by igniting fears of a repeat of the tit-for-tat tariff battle in spring, when levies on Chinese and American imports soared to around 145% and 120% respectively.—
John Liu,
CNN Money,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Jennifer Acree read a range of emotions across several of her group chats as texts spread that a man was arrested on suspicion of igniting the deadly Palisades Fire that ripped through the Los Angeles area earlier this year.—
Terry Collins,
USA Today,
9 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
By this time, the eastern Roman empire, where Zosimus lived, had been fairly thoroughly Christianized, but Zosimus was a pagan hostile to Christianity.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Oct. 2025
-
The United States plans to upgrade its radars to improve their ability to identify hostile ballistic missiles targeting the homeland, according to a government announcement, as nuclear adversaries Russia, China and North Korea advance their missile capabilities.—
Ryan Chan,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The journey, first to Paris and then through Switzerland and Milan and onwards to Venice, was for the most part pleasant, being blessedly free of many of the wearisome and often infuriating hindrances and misdirections that rail travel usually entails.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Oct. 2025
-
Don’t be surprised if this is a hot-hand situation, though, and rather infuriating.—
Jake Ciely,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The fuel dump, one of the largest in Crimea, is fiercely burning.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Tozer St / Ave 15 Fire has been burning on private land.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
As part of these reforms, the Royal Navy impounded dozens of merchant vessels for allegedly evading customs duties, enraging merchants as well as mariners, shipwrights, stevedores, and others in port cities whose livelihoods depended on foreign commerce.—
Time,
Time,
9 Oct. 2025
-
The film captures every enraging detail of the trial while using it as a jumping off point for an exploration of the history of the region and the ways in which the Chuchagasta have been bureaucratically erased in order to strip them of their property and rights.—
Vulture Staff,
Vulture,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
There are rarely artificial-lighting setups and usually only a compact camera filming the action.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The scene will include nightly tree-lighting ceremonies, complete with a flurry of cascading snow.—
Tom Tapp,
Deadline,
14 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Twenty five years on from that sorry, damp squib of a farewell against Germany, the old Wembley, and all its maddening idiosyncrasies, is still very much missed.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
-
But just as common are the tales of maddening, hourslong waits in overstretched emergency rooms, or weeklong delays just to see a community general practitioner.—
Alexander Smith,
NBC news,
5 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inflaming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflaming. Accessed 16 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share