as in to burn
to set (something) on fire
tried using newspapers as kindling to ignite the logs in the fireplace
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Recent Examples of ignite
The incident ignited a national debate on racial profiling and Islamophobia, culminating in an invitation to the White House for Mohamed from President Barack Obama.
—
Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Freeland took exception to Rafael Devers’ admiration of his first-inning home run, igniting the benches-clearing episode.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025
Swift’s drink is served wrapped in steel wool, which the server ignites at the table, causing sparks to fly.
—Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
Every trip to the electric chair is horrifying; a sequence where an intentionally botched execution ignites a still-living prisoner's screaming head in ghoulish blue flames is up there with any supernatural fright King's ever conceived.
—James Grebey, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ignite
Arizona Republic, AZCentral.com, 14 Sep. 2025
Freeland took exception to Rafael Devers’ admiration of his first-inning home run, igniting the benches-clearing episode.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025
Swift’s drink is served wrapped in steel wool, which the server ignites at the table, causing sparks to fly.
—Jenna Thompson, Kansas City Star, 12 Sep. 2025
Every trip to the electric chair is horrifying; a sequence where an intentionally botched execution ignites a still-living prisoner's screaming head in ghoulish blue flames is up there with any supernatural fright King's ever conceived.
—James Grebey, Time, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for ignite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ignite
Verb
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Lapin and her family were among the more than 150,000 people throughout Los Angeles forced to evacuate their homes because of the blazes, which burned more than 40,000 acres and destroyed over 16,000 structures.—
Meredith Wilshere,
People.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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Historic data In 2024, California experienced 305 fires caused by lightning, resulting in 90,206 acres of wildland burned, according to NIFC records.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The resulting scorching ash cloud reached as high as 16 miles into the atmosphere, darkening the sky and causing homes and businesses as far as 300 miles away to close.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
16 Sep. 2025
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With cold winters and scorching summers, many wineries harvest the grapes at night when temperatures are cooler to prevent fermentation before the grapes can be processed.—
Lauren David,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Add these Monday moose throw pillows to your bed or sofa with an array of fall hues from deep brown to light beige for an easy decor hack.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
19 Sep. 2025
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That moment lit a fuse that would burn quietly for years—through scuba certifications at 13, political science degrees, work in education reform, and a growing awareness that climate change was the thread pulling everything apart.—
Afdhel Aziz,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As the immune system fights the infection, the tissues in the urinary tract become inflamed.—
Mark Gurarie,
Health,
13 Sep. 2025
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The government's initial response, which blamed opposition factions rather than acknowledging excessive force, further inflamed tensions.—
Sonal Nain,
MSNBC Newsweek,
12 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ignite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ignite. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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