torch 1 of 2

noun

ˈtȯrch How to pronounce torch (audio)
Definition of torchnext
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

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

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
Steve Steve Young took the torch from Joe Montana in San Francisco and won three Super Bowl rings and a pair of MVP awards. — Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 1 Sep. 2026 View gallery - 4 images For decades, the recipe for a premium folding bicycle has been to engineer a smart hinge mechanism, choose your metal and fire up the welding torch. — New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2026
Verb
While Gasper torched the Marlins at the plate, Payton Tolle smothered the Fish from the mound, at least for a while. — Mac Cerullo, Boston Herald, 26 Aug. 2026 Otherwise you'd be tempted to torch the house for the insurance money. — Vito Emanuel, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for torch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torch
  1. igniter
  2. burn
  3. arsonist
  4. light
  5. firebug
  6. fire
  7. ignite
  8. kindle
Noun
  • Engine starters, igniter plugs, launch pads, and controllers are all things that can cost you money.
    — Grace Dean, Space.com, 16 Aug. 2026
  • There’s a push-button ignitor on the left side and a power button for the digital display on the right.
    — John R. Delaney, PC Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of igniter
Verb
  • Jackson’s availability was curbed by red cards at Chelsea — in Bruges, a barge and shirt pull with defender Han-Beom Lee suggested those flickers of fury and confrontation still burn.
    — Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026
  • On a cold night in November 2011, in a field outside Kharkiv in northeastern Ukraine, a gang of thugs stormed a Soviet scientific research institute, beat and humiliated the staff and burned the place to the ground.
    — Scott Roxborough, HollywoodReporter, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of burn
Noun
  • An arsonist was caught on video setting fire inside an apartment building in Detroit.
    — Karma Sabbah, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2026
  • In the coming years, his life would be shaken by arsonists and assassinations, and dramatically shifting public views about Arabs.
    — Rozina Ali, New Yorker, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of arsonist
Verb
  • European space officials hope a jolt of competition will light a fire under the continent’s rocket industry.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 6 Sep. 2026
  • This world’s heavens are lit with cosmic rays, its cityscapes otherworldly — everything seems to service an unabashed romanticism.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of light
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
Definition of firebug
Verb
  • Knowing workers are required to pay dues or be fired, leaders often use these funds for their own personal gain and political agenda, no matter how many rank-and-file members may object.
    — Mark Mix, Sun Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026
  • According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russian forces launched 108 Shahed-type drones fired from Russia, while at least three people were killed in the latest strikes and infrastructure was hit in Kyiv region.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of fire
Verb
  • Bowers dominated the Raiders’ defense in training camp, had success against a top Texans unit in their joint practice and is obviously the key to igniting the offense.
    — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • One ignited in a home where crews encountered severe hoarding.
    — Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of ignite
Verb
  • Now that fall is on the horizon, hope has been kindled for abundant rainfall.
    — Robert Klose, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Sep. 2026
  • This wildfire season was supercharged by heavy rains in January that spurred vegetation growth, which became kindling when the summer heat arrived.
    — Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of kindle

Phrases Containing torch

Browse Nearby Words

tor
torch
torched
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Torch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torch. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on torch

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about 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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of shofar

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All