as in torch
a person who deliberately and unlawfully sets fire to a building or other property
they finally caught the arsonist, but only after he'd set fire to four barns
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 arsonist
An arsonist set fire to the same synagogue in January.
—
Fernanda Figueroa, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
An arsonist targeted an insurance agency office adjacent to a landmark Fruitvale district Mexican restaurant early Friday, and although the business was gutted by flames, firefighters were able to prevent the blaze from spreading to the restaurant, officials said.
—Harry Harris, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2026
But a staggering series of misfortunes – an arsonist destroyed her rental house; the private equity firm that owned the house still demanded two months’ rent and kept her security deposit; she was diagnosed with ovarian and breast cancer – forced her into tenuous housing situations.
—John Blake, CNN Money, 22 Mar. 2026
The sheriff's office believes that the same arsonist started a fire on Sunday near the town of Vernon.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2026
According to Fishback, in February, an arsonist tried to burn down his home, where his staff was working.
—Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 11 Mar. 2026
Carlson clearly got confused between the arsonist and the fire brigade.
—Calev Myers, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2026
The state of Maryland is burning at the hands of political arsonists, and the Maryland Freedom Caucus continues to criticize the color of the few fire trucks Maryland Republicans are deploying to contain the disaster.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 25 Feb. 2026
In May, arsonists incinerated an 860,000-square-foot megamall in Warsaw; an investigation found the blaze was ordered by the GRU.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 17 Feb. 2026
Fernanda Figueroa, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
An arsonist targeted an insurance agency office adjacent to a landmark Fruitvale district Mexican restaurant early Friday, and although the business was gutted by flames, firefighters were able to prevent the blaze from spreading to the restaurant, officials said.
—Harry Harris, Mercury News, 28 Mar. 2026
But a staggering series of misfortunes – an arsonist destroyed her rental house; the private equity firm that owned the house still demanded two months’ rent and kept her security deposit; she was diagnosed with ovarian and breast cancer – forced her into tenuous housing situations.
—John Blake, CNN Money, 22 Mar. 2026
The sheriff's office believes that the same arsonist started a fire on Sunday near the town of Vernon.
—Christa Swanson, CBS News, 18 Mar. 2026
According to Fishback, in February, an arsonist tried to burn down his home, where his staff was working.
—Dan Adler, Vanity Fair, 11 Mar. 2026
Carlson clearly got confused between the arsonist and the fire brigade.
—Calev Myers, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2026
The state of Maryland is burning at the hands of political arsonists, and the Maryland Freedom Caucus continues to criticize the color of the few fire trucks Maryland Republicans are deploying to contain the disaster.
—Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 25 Feb. 2026
In May, arsonists incinerated an 860,000-square-foot megamall in Warsaw; an investigation found the blaze was ordered by the GRU.
—The Week Us, TheWeek, 17 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for arsonist
torch
Noun
-
Me’Arah O’Neal welcomes carrying the torch for a family of hoopers, led by an NBA superstar.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Mar. 2026
-
Max Verstappen snatched the torch from Lewis Hamilton and became one of the most unstoppable Formula 1 drivers in the sport from 2021 to 2024.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
29 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Arsonist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arsonist. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
