as in fire
the illegal burning of a building or other property; the crime of setting fire to something
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but investigators suspect arson. The town has suffered a rash of arson attacks.
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Recent Examples of arson
However the highest number of arson cases over the last four years was in 2023, when there were 22.
—
Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
Firefighters discovered the victims inside a second-floor room, and fire officials requested the sheriff’s bomb-arson investigators conduct an investigation into the cause and origin of the fire.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
Kealey faces charges of arson murder, murder, felony murder, first-degree arson, home invasion, first-degree strangulation and first-degree assault on an elderly victim, police said.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 18 Mar. 2026
Synagogue blaze investigated as arson THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- An explosion that caused a small fire at the entrance of a synagogue in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam early Friday is being treated as arson, police said.
—Arkansas Online, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arson
Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 31 Mar. 2026
Firefighters discovered the victims inside a second-floor room, and fire officials requested the sheriff’s bomb-arson investigators conduct an investigation into the cause and origin of the fire.
—Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Mar. 2026
Kealey faces charges of arson murder, murder, felony murder, first-degree arson, home invasion, first-degree strangulation and first-degree assault on an elderly victim, police said.
—Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 18 Mar. 2026
Synagogue blaze investigated as arson THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- An explosion that caused a small fire at the entrance of a synagogue in the Dutch port city of Rotterdam early Friday is being treated as arson, police said.
—Arkansas Online, 14 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for arson
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arson
Noun
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True was in her office inside the restaurant shortly after the lunch rush Monday afternoon when a customer came in and said the Chinese restaurant a couple doors down was on fire.—
Jenna Ebbers,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
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The Knicks only truly made things interesting in minutes the former Brooklyn Nets star and sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Famer spent on the bench on Tuesday.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The warmth and premature melt mean the state’s forests will dry out a month or more earlier than usual, Gleick said, which increases the risk of wildfires.—
Ian James,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Apr. 2026
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Hot, dry weather is a recipe for wildfires.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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But with the destruction came a swath of community support for the local businesses impacted by the blaze.—
Jenna Ebbers,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
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Iran hits oil tanker in waters off Dubai An Iranian drone hit a Kuwaiti oil tanker in waters off the United Arab Emirates city of Dubai, sparking a blaze that was later put out, the Dubai Media Office said.—
Jon Gambrell,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arson.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arson. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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