✨📕 The NEWThe NEW Collegiate Dictionary, 12th Edition Over 5,000 words added — Buy Now! Collegiate DictionaryBuy Now!

torch 1 of 2

as in igniter
a person who deliberately and unlawfully sets fire to a building or other property several suspicious fires in the past few months have probably been set by the same torch

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

torch

2 of 2

verb

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of torch
Noun
Through the power of food and entrepreneurship, Chef Dook is carrying the torch and continuing the family legacy by creating a sense of home and togetherness, just as his grandmother and great-grandmother, Emily Chase, famously did. Dontaira Terrell, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025 Kittle presented a makeshift torch to McCaffrey informing of the nomination for his honoring and supporting of the military. Cam Inman, Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2025
Verb
Former All-Pro Dallas corner Trevon Diggs’ play has fallen off a cliff this season, and the Cowboys have gotten torched for a league-leading 10 touchdowns on throws of 20-plus yards. Luca Evans, Denver Post, 24 Oct. 2025 When the Dragon Bravo Fire torched the Grand Canyon’s North Rim in mid-July while the White Sage Fire spread further north, politicians immediately jumped to assign blame. Joan Meiners, AZCentral.com, 20 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for torch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torch
Noun
  • The ignitor came in the form of fellow defenseman Jake Middleton delivering a bone-crunching hit – legally – to Stars forward Matt Duchene in the neutral zone.
    Jess Myers, Twin Cities, 15 Oct. 2025
  • Turns out the oven has a weak igniter that can be replaced for $300.
    R29 Team, Refinery29, 8 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Walk out of a play’s shadows back into the clear light of day without a there to take with you, and even a burning cauldron will become little more than a brief candle.
    Sara Holdren, Vulture, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Veg/cm/61 Fire has been burning on private land.
    CA WILDFIRE BOT, Sacbee.com, 10 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • There probably was no such an arsonist.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Oct. 2025
  • An arson fire destroys the 43-year-old Globe Theatre on March 8 (the arsonist was never caught, but a firebug had set several blazes in the park that winter).
    Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • The room replicating the crash is dimly lit, which Knarr said is because there was no moonlight coming from the sky to illuminate the sea.
    Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 8 Nov. 2025
  • Everything is dark around us, but the collision itself is a source of energy and the flash of it lights us up.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • An arson fire destroys the 43-year-old Globe Theatre on March 8 (the arsonist was never caught, but a firebug had set several blazes in the park that winter).
    Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Oct. 2025
  • In video released by police, the firebug could be seen setting fire to a small pile of trash next to the head of a sleeping passenger stretched out on the seat.
    Elizabeth Keogh, New York Daily News, 12 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles into Israel in response and attacked the Middle East's largest American military base in Qatar.
    MSNBC Newsweek, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
  • The news comes a week after the school fired football head coach Brian Kelly and then former athletic director Scott Woodward a few days later.
    Chris Vannini, New York Times, 5 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Later Punch would finally ignite the Schollmaier Arena crowd with a one-handed slam dunk in transition.
    Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Nov. 2025
  • Trump's relationship with both sports and celebrity culture has been a recurring feature of his political brand, and his responses to public figures like Swift often ignite widespread debate and online discourse.
    Megan Cartwright, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Letter, which is not a romantic fantasy but is rather a straight-up romance, is one of her earlier books and was re-released this year, hitting best-seller status and re-kindling Hollywood interest.
    Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 11 Nov. 2025
  • The drought and near-record temperatures dried out the lush scrub, turning it to kindling.
    Vann R. Newkirk II, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Torch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torch. Accessed 29 Nov. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on torch

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!