1
as in volcano
a potentially explosive place or situation
officials sought to calm the situation, which had grown into a tinderbox
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2
as in crisis
a time or state of affairs requiring prompt or decisive action
while the country's prime minister was meeting with the U.S. president, a political tinderbox was igniting at home
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tinderbox
The red card turned St James’ Park into a frenzied tinderbox.
—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
22 Jan. 2026
The whole place is a tinderbox.
—
Rowan Jacobsen,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Unlike natural thinning, large fire-resilient trees are typically high-graded for felling in Jackson, creating tinderboxes of 300 to 500 mostly juvenile trees per acre.
—
John P. O’Brien,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
Keeping the lake low has turned 500 acres of lakebed into a tinderbox — dry invasive grasses with moisture content under 5% — directly in the path of Santa Ana winds.
—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tinderbox
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
22 Jan. 2026
The whole place is a tinderbox.
—
Rowan Jacobsen,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Oct. 2025
Unlike natural thinning, large fire-resilient trees are typically high-graded for felling in Jackson, creating tinderboxes of 300 to 500 mostly juvenile trees per acre.
—
John P. O’Brien,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
Keeping the lake low has turned 500 acres of lakebed into a tinderbox — dry invasive grasses with moisture content under 5% — directly in the path of Santa Ana winds.
—
U T Readers,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tinderbox
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tinderbox
Noun
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Its dormant volcano, known as the Quill, dominates the southern part of the island.
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The breakthrough was announced in a press conference at the Biblioteca Nazionale di Napoli Vittorio Emanuele III, just 40 miles away from the famous volcano, on Thursday, June 25, by researchers working on the Vesuvius Challenge.
Noun
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Andrea Davis, president and CEO of The Resiliency Initiative, has spent 25 years planning emergency response and crisis management for organizations including Disney, Walmart, the FIFA World Cup and Times Square's New Year's Eve celebration.
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Psychological trauma is also emerging as a major secondary crisis.
Noun
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There was at least one person who thought to protest over the situation.
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Vozinha continued his impressive World Cup on Friday with eight saves, including a fantastic stop of a clean shot from Messi in a one-on-one situation.
Cite this Entry
“Tinderbox.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tinderbox. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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