How to Use ignite in a Sentence

ignite

verb
  • Three wins in a row ignited the team.
  • The fire was ignited by sparks.
  • The paper ignited on contact with sparks.
  • His proposal is igniting opposition.
  • Yet even the prospect of the end of the world isn't enough to re-ignite Kratos' lust for war.
    — Kyle Orland, Ars Technica, 3 Nov. 2022
  • Then George grabbed the mic and said something to ignite the fans.
    — Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 23 Oct. 2022
  • The high heat from the oven can cause some papers to ignite.
    — Bhg Test Kitchen, Better Homes & Gardens, 6 May 2024
  • If the Bears make a deep run at state, Smith will have to ignite them.
    — Richard Obert, The Arizona Republic, 20 Apr. 2021
  • More than half of those have ignited in just the last 24 hours.
    — Jennifer Gray, CNN, 14 Aug. 2023
  • The Jaguars lead swelled to 18 before Leo scored on a fast break and nailed a triple to ignite a 9-0 Vikings run.
    — Joe Noga, cleveland, 8 Mar. 2022
  • That was enough to force LaJoie out of this race and ignite the debate.
    — Michael Marot, ajc, 22 Aug. 2021
  • The slaying was captured on video and – along with the death of George Floyd -- helped to ignite the racial justice protests in the U.S. in 2020.
    — David Aaro, Fox News, 22 Feb. 2022
  • One of the firebombs failed to ignite; the other set a bookcase on fire.
    — Todd Richmond, Anchorage Daily News, 28 Mar. 2023
  • The march risks setting off the kind of protests and clashes that helped ignite last month's Gaza war.
    — Joseph Krauss, ajc, 15 June 2021
  • The march risks setting off the kind of protests and clashes that helped ignite last month's Gaza war.
    — Joseph Krauss, Star Tribune, 15 June 2021
  • Every now and then, a wine can put a smile on your face and ignite a party with the first sip.
    — Washington Post, 9 July 2021
  • UConn brought Hurley here four years ago to re-ignite a fire.
    — Dom Amore, courant.com, 23 Feb. 2022
  • Mitchell and Royce O’Neale drove for back-to-back layups to ignite a 13-2 run that snuffed out the Hawks’ comeback attempt.
    — The Salt Lake Tribune, 9 Nov. 2021
  • At around the time the fire ignited, there were gusts of up to 65 mph reported.
    — Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times, 10 Dec. 2024
  • The impact ignited a massive fire that engulfed the car and the house.
    — Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 5 Aug. 2025
  • It’s not just the paparazzi who ignite moments of self-doubt.
    — Ryan Young, Glamour, 6 Oct. 2021
  • The model showed up to the Eras Tour, igniting the rumor mill all over again.
    — Angela Watercutter, WIRED, 6 Oct. 2023
  • The Bears defense is thus far a top-10 unit, but Williams has been unable to ignite the offense.
    — Gary Klein, Los Angeles Times, 27 Sep. 2024
  • The Clippers need to stay hot as long misses will ignite the transition game of the Suns.
    — Duane Rankin, The Arizona Republic, 13 June 2021
  • The spacecraft is then dropped, and the pilots ignite its engines and fly the craft almost straight up.
    — Washington Post, 1 July 2021
  • Aldrin used to ignite the engine when the switch malfunctioned.
    — Carlie Porterfield, Forbes, 18 July 2022
  • The move has ignited a firestorm on our campus, which has now spread to more than a dozen schools across the country.
    — Nara Milanich, TIME, 26 Apr. 2024
  • As the North Texas craft beer landscape expands, so too do some of the breweries that helped ignite the boom eight years ago.
    — Kelly Dearmore, Dallas News, 9 Apr. 2021
  • While the recent wave of populism ignited in the U.S. and Europe, the center held in Japan, a boring stasis in many respects.
    — Jeff Kingston, Time, 28 Aug. 2025
  • Just over a year later, Watkins committed to USC and ignited the program’s return to national prominence.
    — Devon Henderson, Oc Register, 16 Aug. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ignite.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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