torch 1 of 2

noun

ˈtȯrch How to pronounce torch (audio)
Definition of torchnext
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

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torch

2 of 2

verb

as in to burn
to set (something) on fire police suspect that the owner torched the house for the insurance money

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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 torch
Noun
And how pissed must Luann have been only two months later to find out that Carole was going to be carrying that torch right back to being the center apple of the show? — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026 Ancient viewers would have relied on beeswax and tallow candles, incense burners and torches. — Jacqueline Ortoleva, Scientific American, 3 Oct. 2026
Verb
Riots broke out across major French cities on Saturday night as unrest spread beyond the capital, with government buildings torched and more than 1,000 people detained by police. — Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026 The testy exchange capped a five-minute opening statement in which Williams torched national reporting for trying to box his injury into a tidy Grade 2 timeline. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for torch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torch
  1. igniter
  2. burn
  3. arsonist
  4. light
  5. firebug
  6. fire
  7. ignite
  8. kindle
Noun
  • The most finicky part of the setup was actually inserting the battery for the igniter.
    — Noah Kaufman, Architectural Digest, 2 Oct. 2026
  • Engine starters, igniter plugs, launch pads, and controllers are all things that can cost you money.
    — Grace Dean, Space.com, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of igniter
Verb
  • Neurons are closer to Formula One race cars than to family sedans, burning fuel at a furious rate and threatening to blow up at any moment.
    — Rowan Jacobsen, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Wall Street analysts are trying to discern whether Big Tech will continue to burn cash or not.
    — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of burn
Noun
  • On Tuesday, arsonists set ablaze at least three vehicles, including a taxi and a public bus, and armed men threatened merchants in broad daylight, plunging the city into fear.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
  • An arsonist was caught on video setting fire inside an apartment building in Detroit.
    — Karma Sabbah, CBS News, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of arsonist
Verb
  • Swap the throw pillows, drape a blanket over worn spots, add a slipcover or washable topper and change out the rug, curtains or lighting around it.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2026
  • In practice, hygge can mean curling up with a book and a hot drink, lighting candles for a quiet dinner, gathering friends for a fireside chat without screens or bundling up for a walk in the snow.
    — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of light
Noun
  • An arson fire destroys the 43-year-old Globe Theatre on March 8 (the arsonist was never caught, but a firebug had set several blazes in the park that winter).
    — Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Oct. 2025
  • 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
Definition of firebug
Verb
  • Less than two weeks after the mines exploded, the North fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile more than 700 kilometers.
    — Dan Blumenthal, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Shattered glass littered sidewalks after rioters smashed and looted thousands of shops, torched cars and buildings, and attacked police, who fired tear gas and water cannons.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of fire
Verb
  • The concessions target the school grievances that helped ignite the unrest.
    — Thomas Adamson, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The incident has ignited protests on Okinawa and on the mainland of Japan in Tokyo.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of ignite
Verb
  • Anxiety over America’s build-out of data centers has reached Wall Street in recent days, kindling fears that the artificial intelligence boom is unsustainable.
    — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
  • This complicates things for Teagan, who has begun to kindle something with Cam.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of kindle

Phrases Containing torch

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Cite this Entry

“Torch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torch. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about torch

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