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
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as in to burn
to set (something) on fire
police suspect that the owner torched the house for the insurance money
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of torch
Amanda Hancock, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Feb. 2026
The cameras caught Casper hugging John Shuster in the immediate aftermath in what felt like a passing of the torch between the faces of the sport.
—Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, 10 Feb. 2026
Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 5 Feb. 2026
Food and drink The all-day Mowry & Cotton with its upscale Americana interior and expansive patio has an approachable menu of seasonal salads, steaks, seafood, and flatbreads from the wood-burning oven along with crafty cocktails including a smoked Old Fashioned that’s torched tableside.
—Lizbeth Scordo, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for torch
Noun
Shortly after Gasthaus closed in April 2022, her daughter, Nina Greipel, carried the torch.
—Amanda Hancock, Louisville Courier Journal, 10 Feb. 2026
The cameras caught Casper hugging John Shuster in the immediate aftermath in what felt like a passing of the torch between the faces of the sport.
—Dane Mizutani, Twin Cities, 10 Feb. 2026
Verb
And for what seems like, well, the 23rd time for Texas (14-9, 5-5 SEC), coach Sean Miller tried to make sense of how his defense keeps getting torched by someone else’s backcourt.
—Thomas Jones, Austin American Statesman, 5 Feb. 2026
Food and drink The all-day Mowry & Cotton with its upscale Americana interior and expansive patio has an approachable menu of seasonal salads, steaks, seafood, and flatbreads from the wood-burning oven along with crafty cocktails including a smoked Old Fashioned that’s torched tableside.
—Lizbeth Scordo, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for torch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torch
Noun
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After eight days of examining the scene, analysts found that the light source matched the sparks from a flint ignitor and the flame from a butane lighter.—
Harrington Gardiner,
CBS News,
17 Nov. 2025
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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
Verb
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There was a metal cot, a coal-burning stove and a bare light bulb hanging from the ceiling.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026
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Our lovely Skeldale family stands together and suddenly notices the fires burning on other hills all across the countryside.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But the fires leave Fitchburg resident Brenda Martinez fearful of a potential arsonist on the loose.—
Samantha Chaney,
CBS News,
18 Feb. 2026
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In May, arsonists incinerated an 860,000-square-foot megamall in Warsaw; an investigation found the blaze was ordered by the GRU.—
The Week US,
TheWeek,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Edwards, who plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves and was named the game’s most valuable player, gave all the credit to Wembanyama for lighting the competitive juices of his fellow All-Stars.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
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With the lights turned off, many in the crowd of 93,103 held up lighters and lit matches in tribute.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
17 Feb. 2026
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
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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
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These boats have the vertical launch system (VLS), which could be used to fire new high-speed anti-ship missiles displayed at China’s Victory Day parade in Beijing last fall.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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Police said one of the males in the fight brandished a handgun and fired gunshots at others.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, Rihanna has been busy building her lingerie empire, Savage X Fenty, and collaborating with Jahleel Weaver to create a portfolio of show-stopping looks and a maternity style that’s ignited its own fashion movement.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
14 Feb. 2026
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Some Israeli hostages, taken during Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel that ignited the war, have said they were held at Nasser Hospital, the largest in southern Gaza.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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There’s a slender streak of humor, dry and combustible as kindling, in the film’s exploration of this absurd domestic setup, which lays out the rigid expectations of women and men alike in a punishingly conservative society.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
15 Feb. 2026
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If ‘Oxen’ occupies a region of Ulysses where Joyce’s exquisite ear for memorably musical sentences (‘Mild fire of wine kindled his veins’) takes a back seat to the leaden hum of meta-literature, that is no reason not to be awed by his chutzpah.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Torch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torch. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
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