1
as in volcanoes
a potentially explosive place or situation
officials sought to calm the situation, which had grown into a tinderbox
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tinderboxes
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
John P. O’Brien, Mercury News, 13 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tinderboxes
Noun
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While volcanoes steadily puff the stuff into the air and oceans, the rate at which this happens has subtly changed over millions of years in the course of a grand planetary tectonic ballet.—
Peter Brannen,
Quanta Magazine,
15 Sep. 2025
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Some scholars countered that Venusian volcanoes could have produced phosphine; others said that the measurements were dubious, and the mystery gas wasn’t phosphine.—
David W. Brown,
New Yorker,
13 Sep. 2025
Noun
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If red lines represent overt crises, pink lines represent the subtle, strategic maneuvers that normalize disenfranchisement.—
Hannah Fried,
Time,
16 Sep. 2025
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Below is an analysis of The Trade Desk (TTD) downturn resilience – particularly, its performance against the market during past crises.—
Trefis Team,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Her comments come as Democrats face a leadership crossroads in Washington, with long-serving figures under scrutiny and younger candidates pushing for change.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
10 Sep. 2025
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Continue reading … SEN STEVE DAINES, SEN ANGUS KING – America's national parks are at a crossroads.—
,
FOXNews.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tinderboxes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tinderboxes. Accessed 18 Sep. 2025.
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