Synonyms of tinderbox

tinderbox

noun

ˈtin-dər-ˌbäks 

1

as in volcano

a potentially explosive place or situation

officials sought to calm the situation, which had grown into a tinderbox

Synonyms & Similar Words

• volcano
• time bomb
• powder keg
• flash point
• third rail
• hot button

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

Synonyms & Similar Words

• crisis
• situation
• emergency
• head
• crossroad(s)
• extremity
• exigency
• boiling point
• flash point
• clutch
• conjuncture
• juncture
• breaking point
• crunch
• crunch time
• point of no return
• moment of truth
• zero hour
• predicament
• Dunkirk
• possibility
• milestone
• climax
• deadlock
• contingency
• corner
• landmark
• happening
• turning point
• impasse
• hot water
• condition
• jam
• stalemate
• strait
• hole
• pass
• fix
• spot
• pinch
• last ditch
• eleventh hour
• last minute
• scrape

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of tinderbox

Drought and unusually hot, gusty winds that reached up to 60 mph over the weekend have transformed the area into a tinderbox where more than 28,000 acres have already been scorched. — Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 29 June 2026

The massive reorganization of the country’s federal firefighting strategy comes as dry and hot conditions have turned the country into a tinderbox. — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 30 Apr. 2026

Extreme drought has turned the region into a tinderbox and allowed flames to spread. — Sarah Lynch Baldwin, CBS News, 25 Apr. 2026

The red card turned St James’ Park into a frenzied tinderbox. — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2026