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 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
In a naturally occurring tinderbox, there’s only so much local officials can do to prevent fires.
—Bianca Moreno-Paz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for 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
In a naturally occurring tinderbox, there’s only so much local officials can do to prevent fires.
—Bianca Moreno-Paz, Austin American Statesman, 30 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for tinderbox
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tinderbox
Noun
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But the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano, which erupted in 2022, was underwater.—
Lauren Sommer,
NPR,
12 Mar. 2026
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These volcanoes often produce slow-moving lava flows.—
Jackie Flynn Mogensen,
Scientific American,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce released a comprehensive binational report Wednesday outlining a five-pillar strategy to address the Tijuana River contamination crisis, a problem that has plagued South San Diego County communities for decades.—
Walker Armstrong,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
12 Mar. 2026
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The conflict, which has raged on despite a truce brokered by the United States and Qatar, has sparked a huge humanitarian crisis, with at least 7 million people displaced.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Ollongren also warned of the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East and the war’s adverse effects on human rights in Iran and the broader region.—
Morgan Chalfant,
semafor.com,
9 Mar. 2026
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The situation has become more complex after a major political shift in Tehran.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tinderbox.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tinderbox. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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