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
Relevance
as in burns
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 torches
Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
The torches hold 16 ounces of citronella oil each (not included), and provide up to six hours of burn time.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 May 2026
Shop citronella candles, table torches, and more from just $8.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 6 May 2026
After nightfall, a line of torches guided me to dinner along the beach.
—Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 21 Apr. 2026
When Raphael died, a hundred torches were carried by painters at his funeral, and he was buried in the rotunda of the Pantheon.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Savannah Louie sat on a log, surrounded by tiki torches and silent camera crew members, holding hands with her cast-mates, one on either side.
—thehustle.co, 17 Apr. 2026
Watch as men tromp about with flashlights, set up torches.
—Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
There, Kurds gather to light flaming torches at sunset, carrying them up the mountainside to symbolize light defeating darkness.
—March 25, NPR, 25 Mar. 2026
FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
Hopper cut off a Demogorgon’s head, and Murray torches quite a few.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 12 Nov. 2025
Noun
That move freed up space for not only palm trees, torches, tables, booths and 21 pieces of statuary from Spain, but also a little faux beach with a 4-foot-deep wading pool that can hold a handful of people.
—Los Angeles Times, 13 May 2026
The torches hold 16 ounces of citronella oil each (not included), and provide up to six hours of burn time.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 May 2026
Shop citronella candles, table torches, and more from just $8.
—Alicia Geigel, Southern Living, 6 May 2026
After nightfall, a line of torches guided me to dinner along the beach.
—Susmita Baral, Travel + Leisure, 21 Apr. 2026
When Raphael died, a hundred torches were carried by painters at his funeral, and he was buried in the rotunda of the Pantheon.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2026
Savannah Louie sat on a log, surrounded by tiki torches and silent camera crew members, holding hands with her cast-mates, one on either side.
—thehustle.co, 17 Apr. 2026
Watch as men tromp about with flashlights, set up torches.
—Literary Hub, 14 Apr. 2026
There, Kurds gather to light flaming torches at sunset, carrying them up the mountainside to symbolize light defeating darkness.
—March 25, NPR, 25 Mar. 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
Verb
-
The sun burns outside the window.—
Erin Entrada Kelly,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
-
Now, Kiffin just took the can of gasoline and threw it right into the fire that still burns stemming from his departure for Baton Rouge.—
Trey Wallace OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Spate of attacks In March, arsonists set fire to four ambulances belonging to a Jewish charity, also in Golders Green.—
Jomana Karadsheh,
CNN Money,
1 May 2026
-
A little over six years after being targeted by arsonists during wide-ranging protests in Santiago, Chile, the Violeta Parra Museum has been reopened to the public, the Art Newspaper reports.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Parallel Tales has Farhadi’s characteristic polish and DP Guillaume Deffontaines, who has worked frequently with Bruno Dumont, lights the interiors beautifully, lending subtle golden tones to the fiction scenes.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
14 May 2026
-
In fossil fuel extraction zones — the Permian Basin in Texas, the Bakken fields of North Dakota, oil regions across the Middle East — lights flicker violently in sync with drilling booms and busts, bearing little relation to broader economic trends.—
Bree Shirvell,
Hartford Courant,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Only the United States, a few NATO allies, Russia and Iran are believed to have this kind of high-speed torpedo, which fires air ahead of the weapon to reduce the drag of the water.—
Pau Mosquera,
CNN Money,
12 May 2026
-
Hollis fires and Schultz fires his weapon a dozen times.—
Jason Rantala,
CBS News,
11 May 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
-
As their relationship re-ignites, Alex’s growing bond with Maxy forces a deadly choice between maternal instinct and romantic obsession.—
Andreas Wiseman,
Deadline,
12 May 2026
-
The maternal energy of the flower ignites Cancer's emotions.—
Lisa Stardust,
PEOPLE,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Tucson will also be at or near record temperatures through March 27 as the state’s unprecedented heat wave scorches on, the weather service said.—
Ray Stern,
AZCentral.com,
25 Mar. 2026
-
As the world around them scorches under record heat, a family walks into the woods, asking what the future holds in this thermal dystopia.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Torches.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torches. Accessed 17 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
