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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During my most recent visit in 2025, my family and I spent time driving around on the mostly one-lane highway, through the hills and valleys of the six volcanoes that lie rumbling underneath the island.—
Emily Adler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
6 Apr. 2026
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The idea was controversial, because volcanoes were always thought to act independently, tapping their own supplies of molten, eruptible rock.—
Quanta Magazine,
Quanta Magazine,
27 Mar. 2026
Noun
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For instance, governments faced with large budget deficits—whether due to economic strain, political crises, or war—may resort to creating new money to finance spending.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
14 Apr. 2026
-
While outlooks for young people looked increasingly dire due to economic crises and deep social divisions, the music became openly critical of Orbán’s government.—
Justin Spike,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
In 2001, the crossroads was dramatic.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
15 Apr. 2026
-
With its cast of characters essentially plucked from Fugard’s early life in Port Elizabeth, the play introduces Hally (a stand-in for Fugard) at a crossroads.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tinderboxes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tinderboxes. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
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