as in burning
to set (something) on fire
police suspect that the owner torched the house for the insurance money
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Recent Examples of torching
That came just 24 days after Dennis Allen’s Saints were on the wrong end of a Nacua torching — 9-164-1 — an experience Allen was reminded of Thursday.
—
Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
The Jayhawks won despite TCU torching the KU defense for 15 made 3s on 35 attempts.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 7 Jan. 2026
The trial for New Jersey businessman Paul Caneiro for allegedly murdering four family members and torching two homes — including his own — is set to begin Monday.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 5 Jan. 2026
There were burned and vacant buildings nearby; landlords had been accused of torching properties, even with tenants inside, to get insurance payouts.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 2 Jan. 2026
Cultural institutions, including Chhayanaut and Udichi Shilpi Goshthi, were also vandalized as groups moved through parts of the city, torching buildings and damaging property.
—Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 30 Dec. 2025
The military has been documented going on bloody rampages, torching and bombing villages, massacring residents, jailing opponents and forcing young men and women to join the army.
—Ross Adkin, CNN Money, 27 Dec. 2025
Following the rankings release, BYU made several posts on social media torching the committee for bumping Miami over the Cougars after not playing in the ACC championship.
—Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2025
The Dragons haven’t been overly reliant on the ground game with quarterback Angelo Renda, a Pittsburgh signee, torching opposing defenses.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Dec. 2025
Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
The Jayhawks won despite TCU torching the KU defense for 15 made 3s on 35 attempts.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 7 Jan. 2026
The trial for New Jersey businessman Paul Caneiro for allegedly murdering four family members and torching two homes — including his own — is set to begin Monday.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 5 Jan. 2026
There were burned and vacant buildings nearby; landlords had been accused of torching properties, even with tenants inside, to get insurance payouts.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 2 Jan. 2026
Cultural institutions, including Chhayanaut and Udichi Shilpi Goshthi, were also vandalized as groups moved through parts of the city, torching buildings and damaging property.
—Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 30 Dec. 2025
The military has been documented going on bloody rampages, torching and bombing villages, massacring residents, jailing opponents and forcing young men and women to join the army.
—Ross Adkin, CNN Money, 27 Dec. 2025
Following the rankings release, BYU made several posts on social media torching the committee for bumping Miami over the Cougars after not playing in the ACC championship.
—Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2025
The Dragons haven’t been overly reliant on the ground game with quarterback Angelo Renda, a Pittsburgh signee, torching opposing defenses.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torching
Verb
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An officer quickly stepped on the burning bag and extinguished the flames before the fire could spread.—
Chelsea Jones,
CBS News,
3 Feb. 2026
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The enduring scent of burning garbage, used as one of the sole means of ridding neighborhoods of their trash.—
Ruth Jean-Marie,
Time,
3 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The hard X-ray peak came first, intense and quickly, followed by a longer, scorching soft X-ray and optical glow.—
Paul Sutter,
Space.com,
6 Feb. 2026
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The Best Ways To Reheat Cooked Bacon Cooked bacon reheats quickly, so always keep an eye on it to prevent scorching.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
6 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The image ricocheted across the country, igniting outrage from lawmakers and the public.—
Mike Hixenbaugh,
NBC news,
6 Feb. 2026
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Minutes later, Jarred Vanderbilt stripped Drake Powell, pushed the ball ahead to Austin Reaves and watched Reaves lob it off the glass to James, igniting the Lakers-heavy crowd.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Torching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torching. Accessed 10 Feb. 2026.
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