1
as in volcano
a potentially explosive place or situation
officials sought to calm the situation, which had grown into a tinderbox
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2
as in crisis
a time or state of affairs requiring prompt or decisive action
while the country's prime minister was meeting with the U.S. president, a political tinderbox was igniting at home
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Recent Examples of tinderbox
Forests have become tinderboxes overgrown with trees, shrubs, and other fuels due to lack of maintenance and decades of fire suppression—to the point where 80 million acres are in need of restoration.
—
Joel Thayer, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025
The big picture: Both Trump and President Biden will now face pressure to dial down the temperature ahead of an election that has transformed the country into a tinderbox, writes Axios' Zachary Basu.
—Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 14 July 2024
Destructive protests occasionally flare, leading some analysts to observe that Latin American politics remains a tinderbox.
—Will Freeman, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2023
Current weather conditions — including a severe lack of rainfall this year in Los Angeles — have created a tinderbox in the region.
—Mia Sato, The Verge, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tinderbox
Joel Thayer, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025
The big picture: Both Trump and President Biden will now face pressure to dial down the temperature ahead of an election that has transformed the country into a tinderbox, writes Axios' Zachary Basu.
—Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 14 July 2024
Destructive protests occasionally flare, leading some analysts to observe that Latin American politics remains a tinderbox.
—Will Freeman, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2023
Current weather conditions — including a severe lack of rainfall this year in Los Angeles — have created a tinderbox in the region.
—Mia Sato, The Verge, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tinderbox
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tinderbox
Noun
-
Volcanic eruptions typically occur when magma below a volcano surges into subsurface pockets called magma chambers, then escapes to the surface through vents and fissures.—
Mindy Weisberger,
CNN Money,
5 May 2025
-
The researchers compared the imaging of the interior of the volcano to methods used in medical imaging of the human body.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
30 Apr. 2025
Noun
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President Donald Trump has highlighted fentanyl overdoses as a public health crisis and national emergency, and repeatedly criticized both Canada and Mexico for not doing enough to stop cross-border drug sales to American consumers.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
-
Zuckerberg accurately diagnoses our crisis of isolation.—
Kim Samuel,
Time,
14 May 2025
Noun
-
Set boundaries Define what appropriate behaviors looks like in different situations, provide examples, and make sure your teen understands these expectations.—
Jazmin Towe,
Parents,
9 May 2025
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What about this situation feels new or different, for either Indians or Pakistanis or Kashmiris?—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
9 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tinderbox.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tinderbox. Accessed 21 May. 2025.
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