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
Protesting steelworkers walked around the Riverside pitch in 2015, torches lit on their mobile phones. — Michael Walker, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 The bundle also includes four torches to keep the bugs at bay. — Amber Harding Outkick, FOXNews.com, 4 Sep. 2026 Tamekia Morris didn’t start her career thinking about welding torches or HVAC units. — Carson Bonner, AJC.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Tables and seating are arranged around a crackling fire with torches and ambient lighting surround the venue under the open sky and stars. — Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026 Bulky lanterns, torches, and oversized fixtures can compete for attention, interrupt sight lines, and disrupt the flow of traffic when guests are over. — Rachel Silva, Martha Stewart, 15 Aug. 2026 North Metro also emphasized that propane torches should not be used on weeds during the current fire restrictions. — Sarah Horbacewicz, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026 Midwives delivered the baby using two mobile phone torches balanced on windowsills. — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 25 July 2026 The husband-and-wife owners discreetly deliver coffee and breakfast each morning, then light each site’s campfire and tiki torches in the evening. — Tree Meinch, Midwest Living, 11 July 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
  • On Tuesday, arsonists set ablaze at least three vehicles, including a taxi and a public bus, and armed men threatened merchants in broad daylight, plunging the city into fear.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 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
Verb
  • One burns the only copy of her sister’s precious handwritten manuscript; at least two others set houses on fire, one while her unsuspecting parents are still asleep inside.
    — Hillary Busis, Vanity Fair, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Saha suffered 60% burns all over her body and remains in critical condition at a hospital, according to The Telegraph India and The Hindu.
    — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 19 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Moments later, Andrew enters the home and lights a pipe before meeting the same fate.
    — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026
  • State what lights you up, then invite feedback, because collaboration works best when your adventurous spirit meets boundaries.
    — Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 16 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • Humiliated and filled with grief, Monica shows up at Jax’s law firm and fires her gun.
    — Yamillah Hurtado, PEOPLE, 22 Sep. 2026
  • In the show’s second season, Lumon struggles to contain the fallout from these discoveries and fires the head of the severed floor, Harmony Cobel (Patricia Arquette), replacing her with her former deputy, Seth Milchick (Tillman).
    — Jordana Rosenfeld, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Sep. 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
  • With his business up and running, an unexpected spark ignites his love life.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Continue reading … -- POLITICS BALLOT BOX DIVIDE — El-Sayed’s Jewish outreach ignites ‘tokenism’ fury as Michigan GOP chair makes bold prediction.
    — , FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026
Verb
  • The city is bracing for triple digit temperatures this week as another heat wave scorches Central and Eastern Europe, driving fears that levels could drop even further.
    — Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 5 Aug. 2026
  • 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

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Cite this Entry

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

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