tinder

noun

tin·​der ˈtin-dər How to pronounce tinder (audio)
1
: a very flammable substance adaptable for use as kindling
2
: something that serves to incite or inflame
… that rhetoric was ready tinder for revolution.—Margaret Peters

Examples of tinder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Light vegetation including grass and brush can cure and turn to fire-ready tinder in short order under the right conditions, particularly during hot, dry Santa Ana winds, but that’s unlikely to happen before another rain event, Shameson said. — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 Aerohart From there, the bulk of Aerohart's update work focuses on making the Aviator's Ember easier to hold and thereby more user-friendly for igniting tinder. — New Atlas, 8 Oct. 2026 But every infected traveler is a spark, and in warm states the tinder is already there. — Andrés Henao, CNN Money, 21 Sep. 2026 That is, heavy winter rains and snowfalls that encourage abundant spring growth, only to be dried to tinder by the now-successive heatwaves baking southern Europe and the American Southwest. — John Vaillant, Time, 8 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for tinder

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English tynder; akin to Old High German zuntra tinder, Old English tendan to kindle

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tinder was before the 12th century

Rhymes for tinder

See All Rhymes for tinder

Browse Nearby Words

tindalo
tinder
tinderbox
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tinder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tinder. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

tinder

noun
tin·​der ˈtin-dər How to pronounce tinder (audio)
: a material that burns easily and can be used as kindling
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Can' vs. 'May'

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All