as in fire
the illegal burning of a building or other property; the crime of setting fire to something
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but investigators suspect arson. The town has suffered a rash of arson attacks.
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Recent Examples of arson
But two former workers who asked not to be identified said that safety concerns were discussed at Wayfarer even before the arson.
—
Monica Hunter-Hart, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
The Esparto Fire Protection District requested arson and bomb investigators from CAL FIRE – Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) to lead the origin and cause investigation.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2025
The rapper Kid Cudi, who briefly dated Ventura in 2011, accused Combs of breaking into his house and, on a separate occasion, orchestrating an arson on his car.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 2 July 2025
Terry Stiles, 39, who pleaded guilty to arson charges, set the Nov. 1, 2024 fire with a lighter and some brush, Pillich said.
—Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for arson
Monica Hunter-Hart, Forbes.com, 4 July 2025
The Esparto Fire Protection District requested arson and bomb investigators from CAL FIRE – Office of the State Fire Marshal (OSFM) to lead the origin and cause investigation.
—Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 4 July 2025
The rapper Kid Cudi, who briefly dated Ventura in 2011, accused Combs of breaking into his house and, on a separate occasion, orchestrating an arson on his car.
—Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 2 July 2025
Terry Stiles, 39, who pleaded guilty to arson charges, set the Nov. 1, 2024 fire with a lighter and some brush, Pillich said.
—Cameron Knight, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for arson
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arson
Noun
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Donald Trump has ignited a five-alarm fire and the chaos has reached a fever pitch.—
Jeremy Gorner,
Chicago Tribune,
14 July 2025
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There are no questions about Bremner’s competitive fire, which was apparent throughout this season and especially in the second half.—
Mike Digiovanna,
Oc Register,
14 July 2025
Noun
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Despite the devastating wildfires that tore through the historic town of Lahaina in 2023, T+L readers showed their love of Maui by voting it the number one island in Hawaii this year.—
John Wogan,
Travel + Leisure,
8 July 2025
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Last week, the military announced about 200 of those troops would be returned to their units to fight wildfires.—
Christopher Weber,
Chicago Tribune,
8 July 2025
Noun
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The fire had ignited about 6 p.m. near the intersection of Hellyer Avenue and Silicon Valley Boulevard, according to the San Jose Fire Department, which battled the blaze with assistance from Cal Fire.—
Grant Stringer,
Mercury News,
7 July 2025
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The blaze has since been extinguished, but the cause of the explosion has not been confirmed.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Arson.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arson. Accessed 20 Jul. 2025.
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