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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tinderbox
Nigeria, on track to become more populous than China by the end of the century, could turn central Africa into a tinderbox.
—
Michael Albertus, Foreign Affairs, 4 Mar. 2025
After almost a year of a brutal war with Hamas in Gaza, Israel is at the center of a tinderbox of multiple, interrelated Middle East conflicts.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 12 Sep. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for tinderbox
Michael Albertus, Foreign Affairs, 4 Mar. 2025
After almost a year of a brutal war with Hamas in Gaza, Israel is at the center of a tinderbox of multiple, interrelated Middle East conflicts.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 12 Sep. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for tinderbox
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tinderbox
Noun
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Lava erupting from the Erta Ale volcano in the Afar region of Ethiopia.—
Ian Randall,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 June 2025
-
Even with the uncertainty of war, Stanton noted there are bigger worries for air carriers, like volcanoes.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
21 June 2025
Noun
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The loss plunged the team into crisis and cost Rob Blake his job.—
Sean McIndoe,
New York Times,
19 June 2025
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Structural weakness in crisis response, strategic inertia in security and institutional caution in the face of authoritarian breakdowns all remained visible.—
Benjamin Laker,
Forbes.com,
19 June 2025
Noun
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His situation has parallels with Carl Rushworth, who has run out of patience at the Amex Stadium.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
27 June 2025
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Furthermore, in other situations, planting one that’s too large might be of concern as well, especially if the surrounding area is better suited for bedding cover, staging areas, water sources, etc.—
Josh Honeycutt,
Outdoor Life,
26 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tinderbox.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tinderbox. Accessed 1 Jul. 2025.
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