torch 1 of 2

as in igniter
a person who deliberately and unlawfully sets fire to a building or other property several suspicious fires in the past few months have probably been set by the same torch

Synonyms & Similar Words

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torch

2 of 2

verb

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of torch
Noun
To visualize that, imagine lowering the Statue of Liberty into its depths—Lady Liberty’s torch would still be five feet underwater. Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 31 Aug. 2025 The Saint-Gaudens design of Lady Liberty with torch and olive branch is arguably the most iconic US coinage ever struck, with the eagle on the reverse a masterstroke of neoclassical style. Clem Chambers, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025
Verb
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau said protesters torched a bus in the city of Rennes, Reuters reported. Greg Norman, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2025 Boise State football got the train back on the tracks last Friday night, torching Eastern Washington 51-14 in the Broncos’ home opener to get to 1-1 on the season. Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 9 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for torch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torch
Noun
  • Turns out the oven has a weak igniter that can be replaced for $300.
    R29 Team, Refinery29, 8 Sep. 2025
  • Part of the reason the Brewers had more opportunities was that their defenders killed one potential rally igniter after another.
    Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • 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
  • 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
Noun
  • Advertisement Advertisement The firefighting-arsonist dynamic isn’t unique to Harley.
    Nelson P. Repenning, Time, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Examples of attacks include everything from graffiti and destruction of statues to arsonists destroying entire churches and assailants attacking churchgoers with deadly weapons.
    Robert Schmad, The Washington Examiner, 30 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Ben Hania lights a connective fuse between documentary and drama, using the actual recordings of the panicked girl and the emergency workers — the latter played by actors who hold the screen with pulsing immediacy.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Everyone's got something that lights them up.
    David Oliver, USA Today, 13 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • In video released by police, the firebug could be seen setting fire to a small pile of trash next to the head of a sleeping passenger stretched out on the seat.
    Elizabeth Keogh, New York Daily News, 12 Feb. 2025
  • Two men have been charged with felony arson in Los Angeles in unrelated cases as authorities combat firebugs, looters and multiple raging blazes in Southern California.
    Michael Ruiz, Fox News, 15 Jan. 2025
Verb
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel needs to incapacitate Hamas in the city to avoid a repeat of the October 7 attack that ignited the war.
    Robert Birsel, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Sep. 2025
  • The effort sparked the offense and ignited the home crowd.
    Doug Haller, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Sheen was fired from the series in 2011.
    Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2025
  • Dowd was fired later that evening.
    Ross O'Keefe, The Washington Examiner, 11 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Even minor parks or embers might be carried into leaves or grass, kindling a fire that can swiftly expand.
    CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2025
  • The star of Big Little Lies confessed her new film, Caught Stealing, kindles a powerful yearning for some aspects of the era.
    Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Torch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torch. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

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