1
as in volcanoes
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 crises
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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Recent Examples of tinderboxes
The Industrial Revolution, supercharged by the Civil War, transformed Northeastern cities into denser and denser wooden tinderboxes filled with tons of humans more than capable of accidentally generating sparks.
—
Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
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
Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 2 Apr. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tinderboxes
Noun
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The plates are still moving, and that movement drives geological processes such as earthquakes and the formation of volcanoes.—
Jacopo Prisco,
CNN Money,
13 May 2026
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The views up top are epic though, including volcanoes and the lake.—
Essence,
Essence,
13 May 2026
Noun
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The Institute observed that a UBI program did not necessarily cause inflation; delivery system strength is key; an effective communication strategy is essential; the UBI program should fit within existing schemes; and crises shed light on the gaps in social protection systems.—
Carrie Brandon Elliot,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
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As mental health crises and resources continue to stretch, many fear the consequences could echo the fallout from the Covid pandemic.—
Will Barker,
TheWeek,
18 May 2026
Noun
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The feature centers on two women — Yoriko (Takako Matsu), an artist living in rural Nagi, and her friend and former sister-in-law Yuri (Shizuka Ishibashi) — at a crossroads and searching for a way to move forward.—
Elaina Patton,
IndieWire,
12 May 2026
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The Sprinters Last July, Groenewegen’s career was at a mini-crossroads.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Tinderboxes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tinderboxes. Accessed 21 May. 2026.
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