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
Relevance
as in to burn
to set (something) on fire
police suspect that the owner torched the house for the insurance money
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 torch
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
30 June 2026
Another bears an image of a sheep Statue of Liberty holding a selfie stick instead of a torch.
—
David Kamp,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
Robert Parkinson,
The Conversation,
24 June 2026
In 1984, then unknown monologist Whoopi Goldberg premiered her provocative, thought-provoking one-woman show on Broadway, torching the rulebook of traditional solo performance in one of the most electrifying debuts of the era.
—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for torch
Noun
Her red underwear and Smith's Ryobi torch were recovered five days later.
—
Escher Walcott,
PEOPLE,
30 June 2026
Another bears an image of a sheep Statue of Liberty holding a selfie stick instead of a torch.
—
David Kamp,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
Verb
But everyday people expressed their political outrage time and again, throwing rocks at and demolishing the houses of government officials, torching the king’s ships and forts and, eventually, marching to battle.
—
Robert Parkinson,
The Conversation,
24 June 2026
In 1984, then unknown monologist Whoopi Goldberg premiered her provocative, thought-provoking one-woman show on Broadway, torching the rulebook of traditional solo performance in one of the most electrifying debuts of the era.
—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
23 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for torch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torch
Noun
-
The igniter was wired to a red button inside a little black box mounted to a wooden post.
-
Both sides suggest that the spark for the explosion was a common mishap among people who handle fireworks — the faulty placement of an electronic igniter used to set off pyrotechnics.
Verb
-
According to Smith, citizens of East Florida even burned the leaders behind the Declaration of Independence in effigy.
-
For decades, oceans have acted as the planet’s main heat sink, absorbing 90% of the excess heat produced by humans burning fossil fuels.
Noun
-
Haney said that the Palisades Fire was a separate blaze started by unidentified arsonists and that prosecutors lacked physical evidence linking Rinderknecht to arson.
-
Prosecutors have spent the duration of the trial painting Rinderknecht as a vengeful, mentally unstable arsonist who was angry at society.
Verb
-
Passionate Mars lights your 11th House of Friends and Community, forming a harmonious trine to transformative Pluto in your 7th House of Partnership.
-
Digital footage obtained by The Times showed large aerial fireworks lighted at close range, while another video showed fireworks being thrown by an unknown individual into the crowd.
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).
-
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.
Verb
-
China last tested an ICBM launched into the Pacific in September 2024, firing a DF-31B nuclear-capable missile from Hainan Island in the South China Sea into the open Pacific near French Polynesia.
-
Police release video of the person racing across the roof of the building from where authorities say the shot was fired, dropping down to the ground and walking off campus.
Verb
-
Thiero, a 6-foot-7 forward, ignited the offense down the stretch Sunday.
-
Back on track Last year, Cracker Barrel was in turmoil when changes sparked anger and ignited a culture war.
Verb
-
Photography arrived, kindling an enthusiasm that Baudelaire, ever the cynic, compared to a lust for pornography.
-
As the current Cartoonist Laureate of the state, she has been highly engaged in Vermont culture and history, and says her interest in this couple was kindled by Christopher Kaufman Ilstrup, director of Vermont Humanities, who encouraged her to tell their story.
Cite this Entry
“Torch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torch. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
