1
as in volcanoes
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 crises
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 tinderboxes
The Industrial Revolution, supercharged by the Civil War, transformed Northeastern cities into denser and denser wooden tinderboxes filled with tons of humans more than capable of accidentally generating sparks.
—
Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
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
Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tinderboxes
Noun
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Another spectacular eruption at one of the most active volcanoes in the world has destroyed the live camera volcanologists use to monitor it.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
8 Dec. 2025
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My guide took time to answer every question, explaining the local birds, volcanoes, and marine life.—
Annabelle Canela,
Parents,
7 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Horrible things happen all the time, crises and catastrophes that defy language and imagination.—
Karen Valby,
Vanity Fair,
16 June 2026
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So how does one put these two crises in alignment?—
Elizabeth Fazzare,
Architectural Digest,
16 June 2026
Noun
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Argyle, a quiet community holding on to its rural roots, is at a crossroads with rapid growth and traffic congestion driving the need to widen FM 407, which goes through the town in southern Denton County.—
Elizabeth Campbell,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
10 June 2026
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As complexities increase, that crossroads of simplicity and safety will continue to be a focal point — and tools like those created by CyberFOX will continue to stand out for maintaining ease of use, adaptability, and scalability, all without compromising on strong security.—
Wyles Daniel,
USA Today,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tinderboxes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tinderboxes. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
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