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
Carter, who appeared in only 27 of Sacramento’s first 71 games this season, went 11 of 18 from the field and 6 of 11 from 3-point range, torching a Golden State squad that didn’t want him last summer when the Kings and Warriors discussed a trade for Jonathan Kuminga.
—
Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 11 Apr. 2026
Still capable of torching any team in his way.
—Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Just last week, two men and a teenager were arrested for allegedly torching ambulances operated by a Jewish community service in northwest London.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 6 Apr. 2026
And the other option is to target Iranian energy infrastructure, which could result in Iran retaliating against the Gulf states and torching the entire regional infrastructure.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2026
On Monday, the group claimed credit for torching four ambulances at a Jewish community rescue service outside the Machzike Hadath synagogue in London.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 24 Mar. 2026
Videos posted online showed settlers torching cars and buildings, with at least 10 Palestinians reported injured, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 23 Mar. 2026
And Kara Dunn, who played Clemson while at Georgia Tech, has actual experience torching the Tigers.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Locals and tourists took shelter across Mexico amid a wave of retaliatory violence after government forces killed a powerful cartel leader, with gunmen blocking highways and torching cars.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 11 Apr. 2026
Still capable of torching any team in his way.
—Marcus Thompson Ii, New York Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Just last week, two men and a teenager were arrested for allegedly torching ambulances operated by a Jewish community service in northwest London.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 6 Apr. 2026
And the other option is to target Iranian energy infrastructure, which could result in Iran retaliating against the Gulf states and torching the entire regional infrastructure.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2026
On Monday, the group claimed credit for torching four ambulances at a Jewish community rescue service outside the Machzike Hadath synagogue in London.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 24 Mar. 2026
Videos posted online showed settlers torching cars and buildings, with at least 10 Palestinians reported injured, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 23 Mar. 2026
And Kara Dunn, who played Clemson while at Georgia Tech, has actual experience torching the Tigers.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Locals and tourists took shelter across Mexico amid a wave of retaliatory violence after government forces killed a powerful cartel leader, with gunmen blocking highways and torching cars.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torching
Verb
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An 80-year-old woman and a 59-year-old man were pulled from the burning building.—
Elijah Westbrook,
CBS News,
14 Apr. 2026
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Our Thoughts on the Candle Who knew burning cash could smell so good?—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
14 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Higher heat encourages better skin texture, but balance is key to keep the potato from scorching before the interior softens through.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
4 Apr. 2026
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Devastating, scorching March The Sierra snowpack saw some promising accumulations earlier in the winter, especially between late December and early January, and during a very cold storm in mid-February that produced a lot of snow.—
Chaewon Chung,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Tensions spiked in 2016 when the government attempted to impose French in English-speaking regions’ schools and courts, igniting protests that security forces violently repressed.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
16 Apr. 2026
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On Friday, a 20-year-old man named Daniel Moreno-Gama traveled from Spring, Texas, to San Francisco’s Pacific Heights neighborhood and hurled an incendiary device at the gate of OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s $27 million home, igniting a fire on the exterior gate.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
14 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Torching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torching. Accessed 20 Apr. 2026.
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