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.
The last few summers had burned like tinder, and the grass was fried, our springs on the outs. — Literary Hub, 22 June 2026 Both the tinder storage and ferro tube sections of the Pen-metheus are sealed off with O-rings to prevent any moisture penetration. — New Atlas, 22 June 2026 In the poor quarters of New Delhi, households struggling to pay for gas fired up chulhas, old-school wood-burning stoves, and hoped their tinder supplies held. — Nathan Heller, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026 Like the southeast, the Great Plains have been under intense drought for months and experienced strong winds and low humidity this season, which helped fan flames through tinder-dry grasslands. — Kasha Patel, CNN Money, 23 May 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 7 Jul. 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

More from Merriam-Webster on tinder

Nglish: Translation of tinder for Spanish Speakers

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