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

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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
Expect to see Trump lighting the torch while sitting in the stands with his fellow autocrats — Hungary’s Orban, India’s Modi, maybe even Putin. Joe Mathews, Mercury News, 25 July 2025 The mid-engine sports car is an increasingly rare breed, but Lotus still carries the torch with its Emira, which is available with a choice of supercharged V6 or turbocharged inline-four cylinder engines. Peter Nelson, ArsTechnica, 1 Aug. 2025
Verb
The Broncos got fed up with Wallace getting torched on Monday Night Football by Jerry Jeudy and threw their rookie into a hot spot. Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 17 July 2025 Since late 2024, a synagogue in Melbourne was firebombed, several Jewish businesses were torched and a Jewish daycare was set on fire. Anna Kaufman, USA Today, 3 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for torch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torch
Verb
  • The pair, who met as college undergrads, both burned with idealism and recognized their privilege could be leveraged for a game-changing idea.
    Carole Horst, Variety, 13 Sep. 2023
  • The Ellen MacArthur Foundation promotes circular fashion and says that, in the United States, an amount of clothing equal to a garbage truck is ferried to landfills or burned every second.
    Neeti Mehra, Treehugger, 13 Sep. 2023
Verb
  • While there are a few common threads among all the Shabbat clubs in this story, like lighting candles and eating meals together, there are other elements that set each group apart.
    Sophie Liza Cannon, Forbes.com, 8 Aug. 2025
  • There was a fire lit in the nursery, and the table was laid with three choices of cake.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 7 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • 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
  • Two men have been charged with felony arson in Los Angeles in unrelated cases as authorities combat firebugs, looters and multiple raging blazes in Southern California.
    Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • The impact ignited a massive fire that engulfed the car and the house.
    Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025
  • The fire ignited last Friday and quickly grew to encompass thousands of acres.
    Hannah Parry Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • The nurse was later fired, and Heritage Square was required to revamp its assault prevention protocols.
    Tamia Fowlkes, jsonline.com, 7 Aug. 2025
  • Carano was fired from The Mandalorian after making a series of controversial posts on social media in 2021.
    Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 7 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • These innocuous-seeming actions can kindle dry vegetation, potentially spawning a wildfire.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 30 July 2025
  • As analysts have continued to kindle offseason discourse around his ultimate upside, the placement’s a direct nod to Nix’s ascending standing in the league following a third-place finish in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting in 2025.
    Luca Evans, Denver Post, 24 July 2025
Verb
  • And there’s a chance next summer’s temperatures could fall back to 2024’s scorching numbers if the A’s decide to play more day games at Sutter Health Park.
    Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 14 Aug. 2025
  • Wildfires have already made headlines this year, thanks to the horrific fires in the Los Angeles area in January, which scorched tens of thousands of acres and left dozens, perhaps hundreds dead.
    Doyle Rice, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Torch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torch. Accessed 19 Aug. 2025.

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