torches 1 of 2

plural of torch
as in igniters
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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torches

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of torch

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 torches
Noun
Some held torches to light the way as floodlights appeared to illuminate the rubble against the darkness of night. Diego Mendoza, CNN Money, 28 June 2026 Or, try lighting citronella torches and candles around your outdoor entertaining space to keep mosquitoes at bay. Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 17 June 2026 Citronella candles, torches, and sprays are all made with the oil derived from citronella grass—which are different than scented geraniums. Cori Sears, The Spruce, 13 June 2026 The conflict that ensues is startling in the intensity of its violence, as bodies brawl and break in the mud, flaming torches are taken to the face, and red-hot blades are seared into flesh. Guy Lodge, Variety, 11 June 2026 Though not as common as candles or torches, mosquito coils are another effective way to keep bugs at bay. Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 9 June 2026 Bill Maher torches embattled Maine candidate over tattoo, texting and abuse claims. FOXNews.com, 8 June 2026 On the ground, part of the team used the traditional technique of igniting fires with drip torches or dry palm leaves. ABC News, 7 June 2026 In 1971, the Jewish residents of Forest Hills violently protested the development of a public-housing project in their neighborhood with rocks and flaming torches. Kevin Lozano, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026
Verb
Continue reading … BENCH WARRED — Blanche torches Trump foe Boasberg after appeals court blocks judge again in deportation fight. FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026 Hopper cut off a Demogorgon’s head, and Murray torches quite a few. Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 12 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torches
Noun
  • Haney said that the Palisades Fire was a separate blaze started by unidentified arsonists and that prosecutors lacked physical evidence linking Rinderknecht to arson.
    N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 26 June 2026
  • Moscow regularly recruits young men of various nationalities — the Starmer arsonists were Ukrainian-born — as proxies in its shadowy hybrid warfare campaigns, Reuters reported.
    Tom Chivers, semafor.com, 15 June 2026
Verb
  • Kishnani’s now 48 but the exclusion still burns.
    Rhea Mogul, CNN Money, 21 June 2026
  • Destined only to be savoured as a dream, while the world still burns around you.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • Teamwork thrives when boundaries are crisp, as the radiant Sun lights your 11th House of Friends in a quincunx to Pluto in your 6th House of Work.
    Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 26 June 2026
  • The ceiling lights in the kitchen are the Alabax Large Surface Mount design by Schoolhouse Electric.
    Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar, Architectural Digest, 23 June 2026
Verb
  • Soufiane Rahimi crosses from the left of the box to Gessime Yassine near the right post, and Yassine fires it in at the 89th minute.
    Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 25 June 2026
  • Angel City fires coach Angel City FC fired coach Alex Straus on Wednesday after a little more than a year on the job.
    Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • While Martin Scorsese called it one of the scariest movies of all time, The Uninvited kindles a wonderful romance between Rick and Stella.
    Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
  • The star of Big Little Lies confessed her new film, Caught Stealing, kindles a powerful yearning for some aspects of the era.
    Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • But when a confident new student arrives from America and catches the attention of a pageant recruiter visiting the school, a rivalry ignites that forces the girls to confront issues of beauty, identity, class and self-worth.
    Dave Quinn, PEOPLE, 23 June 2026
  • However, a moment later, burning shrapnel from the blast ignites a fire below.
    David Hambling, Forbes.com, 19 June 2026
Verb
  • France followed its hottest-ever day with yet more brutal temperatures as a deadly heat wave scorches much of western Europe.
    Elizabeth Robinson, NBC news, 24 June 2026
  • Protection from the sun is key for this plant because bright sun scorches its leaves.
    Lauren David, Southern Living, 4 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Torches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torches. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.

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