incendiary 1 of 2

noun

Definition of incendiarynext
1
as in torch
a person who deliberately and unlawfully sets fire to a building or other property firefighters caught the incendiary, who was watching the effects of his handiwork

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in firebrand
a person who stirs up public feelings especially of discontent blamed the protests on outside incendiaries who were intent on overthrowing the government

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

incendiary

2 of 2

adjective

in-ˈsen-dē-ˌer-ē How to pronounce incendiary (audio)
as in provocative
tending to excite political disorder or insurrection recklessly made incendiary remarks during a period of heightened racial tensions

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 incendiary
Noun
The fire marshal’s investigation indicated that the cause of the fire, which started in an interior hallway, was an incendiary. — Aegis Staff Report, Baltimore Sun, 23 Jan. 2024 Many framed the arson wave as an extension of the riots of the Sixties, alleging that black incendiaries had burned their own homes to collect welfare or to exorcise some pathology. — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 16 July 2025
Adjective
The Maine Senate candidate’s supporters shrugged off the Nazi tattoo and the mountain of old incendiary Reddit posts, drawn to his charisma and ready to believe in his redemption arc. — Julia Terruso, Time, 8 June 2026 Arson – To unlawfully and intentionally damage or attempt to damage any real or personal property of another person or entity by fire or incendiary device. — Baltimore Sun Staff, Baltimore Sun, 12 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for incendiary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incendiary
  1. torch
  2. firebrand
  3. provocative
  4. rebel
  5. inflammatory
  6. insurgent
  7. provocateur
  8. demagogue
Noun
  • The pair stepped into the museum on Liberty Island to see the original torch that Soraci helped preserve.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
  • As is known now, that passing of the torch has yet to really pan out for various reasons.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 3 July 2026
Definition of torch
Noun
  • The Bongino Report, the website of the right-wing firebrand who would eventually serve a brief term as deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, claimed that Check My Ads was violating tax rules.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 30 June 2026
  • Now, the right-wing firebrand has managed to win the backing of at least four billionaires as of May 6, according to the latest available election data—including the CEO and cofounder of Kalshi.
    — Danielle Chemtob, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026
Definition of firebrand
Adjective
  • Digital platforms further amplify provocative behavior, potentially normalizing hate.
    — Maia Niguel Hoskin, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
  • That can desensitize us to actions that in another context would be seen as deeply provocative.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 29 June 2026
Definition of provocative
Noun
  • Gillespie also has a reputation for melding music to movies, as seen in Cruella, his 2021 movie that cast Disney villainess Cruella de Vil as a punk rock rebel in London’s fashion scene.
    — Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 3 July 2026
  • The winner is the daughter of the late Alberto Fujimori, the former president whose government in the 1990s defeated the Shining Path extremist rebel group but also took an authoritarian turn.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 July 2026
Definition of rebel
Adjective
  • Obesity Excess fat tissue, especially around your belly, releases inflammatory chemicals like cytokines.
    — Brandi Jones, Verywell Health, 6 July 2026
  • And what that meant was democracy, still a very inflammatory term in 1850.
    — David Frum, The Atlantic, 1 July 2026
Definition of inflammatory
Noun
  • Fujimori, 51, is the daughter of late President Alberto Fujimori, who governed the country ​with an iron fist from 1990 to 2000 and was credited with defeating Maoist insurgents and taming runaway hyperinflation.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 4 July 2026
  • Syria has been without a parliament since the December 2024 offensive by insurgents led by al-Sharaa’s now defunct Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group, which ended the Assad family’s five-decade dynasty.
    — Ghaith Alsayed, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of insurgent
Noun
  • The Onion is pressing ahead with its takeover of InfoWars, the conspiracy-laden media empire formerly owned by far-right provocateur Alex Jones.
    — Drew Pittock, USA Today, 2 July 2026
  • The height of her popularity came during her 12-year relationship with French provocateur Serge Gainsbourg.
    — Michelle Duncan, Architectural Digest, 1 July 2026
Definition of provocateur
Noun
  • The Constitution was crafted out of fear — fear of concentrated power, factional dominance, corruption, demagogues, unchecked executives, and the use of public office for personal gain.
    — Paul Oestreicher, Hartford Courant, 10 June 2026
  • But those standards can be easily stretched by demagogues, and a simple majority on the committee is enough to ban a party, though a panel of nine Supreme Court justices can overturn the decision on appeal.
    — Bernard Avishai, New Yorker, 18 May 2026
Definition of demagogue

Browse Nearby Words

incendiaries
incendiary
incense
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Incendiary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incendiary. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on incendiary

Nglish: Translation of incendiary for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
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
hangman letters and game
Hangman Lightning Round Figure out which word fits in the blanks.
See All