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
Pretoria’s memory of large-scale unrest in July 2021 — when looting and arson left hundreds dead and billions in damage — hangs over the preparations, shaping how officials and businesses are responding.
—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
29 June 2026
In December, 2024, a synagogue in Melbourne was destroyed in an arson attack; seven months later, another was set alight during Shabbat.
—
Oscar Schwartz,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
Jonathan Rinderknecht was facing arson charges for setting a fire on New Year’s Day in 2025, which became one of the deadliest wildfires in LA history.
—
Terrence O'Brien,
The Verge,
28 June 2026
Haney said that the Palisades Fire was a separate blaze started by unidentified arsonists and that prosecutors lacked physical evidence linking Rinderknecht to arson.
—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for arson
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
29 June 2026
In December, 2024, a synagogue in Melbourne was destroyed in an arson attack; seven months later, another was set alight during Shabbat.
—
Oscar Schwartz,
New Yorker,
29 June 2026
Jonathan Rinderknecht was facing arson charges for setting a fire on New Year’s Day in 2025, which became one of the deadliest wildfires in LA history.
—
Terrence O'Brien,
The Verge,
28 June 2026
Haney said that the Palisades Fire was a separate blaze started by unidentified arsonists and that prosecutors lacked physical evidence linking Rinderknecht to arson.
—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
26 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for arson
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arson
Noun
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Fire departments have also partnered with the APA to hand out buckets so consumer fireworks users can douse used fireworks, reducing the risk of accidental fires.
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Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.
Noun
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Fireworks from formal rocket shows to impromptu street celebrations can create extremely unhealthy air quality, sometimes rivaling what comes from wildfires.
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This year’s celebration comes on the heels of a late June warehouse fire in Boyle Heights that released extraordinary amounts of soot and smoke across the county, on par with pollution generated by the previous year’s wildfires.
Noun
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Firefighters halted the forward progress of the Happy Fire, a collection of small blazes burning Tuesday along a roadside southeast of Placerville, and evacuation orders affecting about 300 area residents had been downgraded to warnings.
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The crew was overtaken by a fast-moving blaze with no viable escape route or safety zone, the US Wildland Fire Service said.
Cite this Entry
“Arson.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arson. Accessed 5 Jul. 2026.
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