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.
Temperatures are set to soar in France and Spain this week as the continent heads into its fourth heat wave of the summer, and there is no rain forecast to relieve the tinder-dry conditions fuelling the fires. — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 28 July 2026 In both Spain and France, the exceptional scale of the fires — fueled by heat waves that hit especially hard and early this year, making forests and scrubland tinder-dry — are driving calls for stronger action against climate change. — Mark Carlson, Los Angeles Times, 27 July 2026 These grasses turn bright green when the rains come, then dry into a bed of tinder in the summer. — Angus Chen, STAT, 22 July 2026 Utah restricted fireworks and declared a state of emergency Friday ahead of July Fourth celebrations as the United States' largest wildfire expanded its reach across more tinder-dry forest, as crews rush to fight new blazes in the arid state. — CBS News, 27 June 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 1 Aug. 2026.

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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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