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
The red card turned St James’ Park into a frenzied tinderbox.
—
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2026
The whole place is a tinderbox.
—Rowan Jacobsen, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Unlike natural thinning, large fire-resilient trees are typically high-graded for felling in Jackson, creating tinderboxes of 300 to 500 mostly juvenile trees per acre.
—John P. O’Brien, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025
Keeping the lake low has turned 500 acres of lakebed into a tinderbox — dry invasive grasses with moisture content under 5% — directly in the path of Santa Ana winds.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tinderbox
Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2026
The whole place is a tinderbox.
—Rowan Jacobsen, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
Unlike natural thinning, large fire-resilient trees are typically high-graded for felling in Jackson, creating tinderboxes of 300 to 500 mostly juvenile trees per acre.
—John P. O’Brien, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025
Keeping the lake low has turned 500 acres of lakebed into a tinderbox — dry invasive grasses with moisture content under 5% — directly in the path of Santa Ana winds.
—U T Readers, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tinderbox
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tinderbox
Noun
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In the distance, stretching the vista almost to its breaking point, are two snowcapped volcanoes.—
Sebastian Smee,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
-
Butterflies, metamorphic rock, volcanoes, anything in nature that creates.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
4 May 2026
Noun
-
Starmer appears to have seen off any immediate leadership challenge for now, and will hope that today’s pomp, pageantry and policy agenda can shift attention away from the current crisis.—
Holly Ellyatt,
CNBC,
13 May 2026
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Wednesday’s report came during one of the worst budget crises in the city of Sacramento since the Great Recession.—
Theresa Clift,
Sacbee.com,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
Cleveland still has a lot of pressure to win Game 4 at home, and Detroit is still the clear favorite to advance, but facing a close finish in a must-win situation, Harden delivered.—
Dan Santaromita,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
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At the same time, Walmsley went on, situations like the one in Arcadia are forcing an industry-wide reckoning.—
Ava Kofman,
New Yorker,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tinderbox.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tinderbox. Accessed 15 May. 2026.
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