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as in firebrand
a person who stirs up public feelings especially of discontent
blamed the protests on outside incendiaries who were intent on overthrowing the government
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in provocative
tending to excite political disorder or insurrection
recklessly made incendiary remarks during a period of heightened racial tensions
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of incendiary
Brad Lendon, CNN, 7 Sep. 2024
But the only traditional incendiaries in the story are the radical Protestant preacher Anne Askew (Erin Doherty), a friend of Katherine’s, and Henry’s minion, Bishop Stephen Gardiner, played by an inquisitorial Simon Russell Beale.
—Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 14 June 2024
Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 30 Apr. 2026
Still, the comments Kerr or Rivers made about ICE were incendiary and factually challenged.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for incendiary
Noun
Ukrainian officers also accused Russia of using incendiaries in attacks on the city of Bakhmut last year.
—Brad Lendon, CNN, 7 Sep. 2024
But the only traditional incendiaries in the story are the radical Protestant preacher Anne Askew (Erin Doherty), a friend of Katherine’s, and Henry’s minion, Bishop Stephen Gardiner, played by an inquisitorial Simon Russell Beale.
—Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post, 14 June 2024
Adjective
The one that keeps flashing in my mind in the current call to ratchet down the incendiary rhetoric was Don Jr’s reaction to the near-fatal 2022 home invasion attack on Paul Pelosi, husband of then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA).
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 30 Apr. 2026
Still, the comments Kerr or Rivers made about ICE were incendiary and factually challenged.
—Bobby Burack Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for incendiary
Recent Examples of Synonyms for incendiary
Noun
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Some are friends who stood beside me through the AIDS crisis, others are carrying the torch forward with the new generation.—
Todd Spangler,
Variety,
18 May 2026
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Don't use a propane torch on a windy day, and be careful to avoid burning either yourself or any of the objects adjacent to the weeds.—
David Beaulieu,
The Spruce,
16 May 2026
Noun
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About two months ago a US district court judge ruled that Kari Lake, the MAGA firebrand and election truther, had been illegally appointed to run the US Agency for Global Media, which oversees Voice of America.—
Aidan McLaughlin,
Vanity Fair,
8 May 2026
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All hell broke loose at Thursday's press conference when Khamzat Chimaev and firebrand Sean Strickland nearly turned a routine face-off into a street fight.—
Alejandro Avila OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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So, could this be the goal of this provocative collaboration?—
Clara Ludmir,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
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Both men were hospitalized after the shooting; community members describe Eatherly as someone whose provocative actions have intensified tensions and dangerous confrontations.—
Kristin M. Hall,
Los Angeles Times,
14 May 2026
Noun
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In March, Washington sanctioned Rwanda’s defense forces and several senior officials, accusing them of funding the M23 rebels who have taken over mineral-rich areas of eastern DR Congo.—
Tiisetso Motsoeneng,
semafor.com,
15 May 2026
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Chance understands why some kids rebel.—
Andrew R. Chow,
Time,
14 May 2026
Adjective
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In fatal cases, the defining biology is profound endothelial dysfunction, capillary leak, pulmonary edema, inflammatory-thrombotic activation, and shock.—
Steve Brozak,
Forbes.com,
15 May 2026
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Collins has little in common with Hale, who once reportedly beat a newspaper editor with a whip for publishing an inflammatory article about his mother.—
Garrett Downs,
CNBC,
15 May 2026
Noun
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But even larger numbers of socially conservative white working-class voters in Wales, Scotland and northern England — the traditional bedrock of Labour’s support — switched to Reform, the insurgent party founded by Nigel Farage, the renowned Brexit campaigner.—
Ian King,
CNBC,
13 May 2026
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According to the military, security forces launched an operation in the province’s district of Barkhan to rout out insurgents that Islamabad claims are backed by India.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 May 2026
Noun
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He was also marked as a dangerous provocateur by Cuban officials.—
Rick Jervis,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
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His status as a self-aware, hyper-online provocateur may not seem to suggest the makings of a bona fide filmmaker, but just wait.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
15 May 2026
Noun
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But those standards can be easily stretched by demagogues, and a simple majority on the committee is enough to ban a party, though a panel of nine Supreme Court justices can overturn the decision on appeal.—
Bernard Avishai,
New Yorker,
18 May 2026
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But demeaning our brand through association with vulgar demagogues is a losing strategy.—
Alma Hernandez,
New York Daily News,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Incendiary.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incendiary. Accessed 22 May. 2026.
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