torch 1 of 2

as in igniter
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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torch

2 of 2

verb

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 torch
Noun
Douglass was passing the torch to a new era of Black leadership. Chadd Scott, Forbes, 24 Mar. 2025 The Kurama Fire Festival, held annually on Oct. 22 in Kyoto, is a Shinto ritual where large torches are carried through the streets to ward off evil and purify the land. Ronald S. Green, The Conversation, 24 Mar. 2025
Verb
Tatlin scholarship is whispery on his time in Kyiv, for the excellent reason that Stalin’s minions torched most evidence of it. Jackson Arn, The New Yorker, 10 Mar. 2025 The largest blaze, which torched 1,600 acres in Carolina Forest, South Carolina, was 30% contained as of late Sunday. Rebecca Morin, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for torch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torch
Verb
  • The pair, who met as college undergrads, both burned with idealism and recognized their privilege could be leveraged for a game-changing idea.
    Carole Horst, Variety, 13 Sep. 2023
  • The Ellen MacArthur Foundation promotes circular fashion and says that, in the United States, an amount of clothing equal to a garbage truck is ferried to landfills or burned every second.
    Neeti Mehra, Treehugger, 13 Sep. 2023
Verb
  • Engage Your Senses In a shared office environment, playing loud music or lighting a scented candle is frowned upon.
    Kate Wieczorek, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
  • Think of those who sit in the dark and wait their turn, hoping and waiting for a light to light their path.
    Matt Minton, Variety, 28 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • In video released by police, the firebug could be seen setting fire to a small pile of trash next to the head of a sleeping passenger stretched out on the seat.
    Elizabeth Keogh, New York Daily News, 12 Feb. 2025
  • The menacing firebug lit several blazes in South Ozone Park on July 4, including a house fire that left two residents hospitalized for more than a month.
    Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 19 Nov. 2024
Verb
  • From viral videos to uncontainable fan excitement, A Minecraft Movie has ignited a worldwide block party!
    Matt Donnelly, Variety, 7 Apr. 2025
  • These stains can leave behind highly flammable residues that may ignite, even at low temperatures.
    Katelyn Squiers, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • The person calling claimed a friend had fired shots at a Black adult female at 7:05 p.m., and that two suspects were at the location wearing all black.
    Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 10 Apr. 2025
  • Continue reading … 'KNIVES OUT' – Former 'Scream' director left film over death threats after anti-Israel actress firing.
    FOXNews.com, FOXNews.com, 10 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Brett Anderson, a senior meteorologist and climate change expert at AccuWeather, said the hurricane also left behind lots of dead trees and fallen branches, debris that became kindling.
    John Bacon, USA Today, 27 Mar. 2025
  • Even minor parks or embers might be carried into leaves or grass, kindling a fire that can swiftly expand.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 26 Mar. 2025
Verb
  • With the same milky blue water as the Blue Lagoon and a fraction of the crowd, these are the hot springs of your dreams, fed from a bore hole at a scorching 266 degrees before the water cools to between 96 and 104 degrees.
    Maggie Fuller, AFAR Media, 1 Apr. 2025
  • Hedges hit his ninth and tenth home runs of the season on Saturday against Indiana, continuing his scorching start to the season.
    Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 31 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Torch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torch. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.

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