as in provocative
tending to excite political disorder or insurrection
the restless crowd was stirred up by the inflammatory rhetoric
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of inflammatory
Astoundingly, the 2022 study discovered elevated levels of these inflammatory markers years, even decades, after the participants’ trauma.
—
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
Looming over the meeting are his inflammatory threats to make Canada the 51st state and take over Greenland.
—Rob Gillies, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2025
Earlier in the day, it was reported that a super PAC backing Cuomo had prepared an attack mailer that used a photo filter to make Mamdani’s beard look darker and bushier—which Mamdani denounced as inflammatory and Islamophobic.
—Eric Lach, New Yorker, 13 June 2025
Once celebrated for her resilience, Skinner risks being remembered more for inflammatory commentary than athletic achievements.
—Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for inflammatory
Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 21 June 2025
Looming over the meeting are his inflammatory threats to make Canada the 51st state and take over Greenland.
—Rob Gillies, Chicago Tribune, 15 June 2025
Earlier in the day, it was reported that a super PAC backing Cuomo had prepared an attack mailer that used a photo filter to make Mamdani’s beard look darker and bushier—which Mamdani denounced as inflammatory and Islamophobic.
—Eric Lach, New Yorker, 13 June 2025
Once celebrated for her resilience, Skinner risks being remembered more for inflammatory commentary than athletic achievements.
—Caroline Price, Forbes.com, 14 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for inflammatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflammatory
Adjective
-
These songs were birthed before social media algorithms shaped the direction of popular music, when singles and their accompanying videos had less winks, less meta commentary, less need to be provocative.—
Clarence A. Haynes
July 3,
Literary Hub,
3 July 2025
-
The film is provocative, if gently so, in suggesting to consider how a radical was made, and that mistreatment and bias in the West can be a contributing factor.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
1 July 2025
Adjective
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More than 1,500 people were prosecuted in a sweeping Justice Department probe, resulting in serious convictions from assaulting law enforcement to seditious conspiracy.—
Ella Lee,
The Hill,
12 June 2025
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Rhodes was convicted of seditious conspiracy in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol riot and was sentenced to 18 years in prison.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
27 May 2025
Adjective
-
The latter song was incendiary, as Push targeted Travis Scott.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
25 June 2025
-
Arson – To unlawfully and intentionally damage or attempt to damage any real or personal property of another person or entity by fire or incendiary device.—
Baltimore Sun staff,
Baltimore Sun,
23 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Inflammatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflammatory. Accessed 10 Jul. 2025.
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