as in burning
to set (something) on fire
police suspect that the owner torched the house for the insurance money
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Recent Examples of torching
Jamal Murray has been torching opposing defenses, and Nikola Jokić is dropping dimes left and right.
—
Zach Harper, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
And the other option is to target Iranian energy infrastructure, which could result in Iran retaliating against the Gulf states and torching the entire regional infrastructure.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2026
On Monday, the group claimed credit for torching four ambulances at a Jewish community rescue service outside the Machzike Hadath synagogue in London.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 24 Mar. 2026
Videos posted online showed settlers torching cars and buildings, with at least 10 Palestinians reported injured, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 23 Mar. 2026
And Kara Dunn, who played Clemson while at Georgia Tech, has actual experience torching the Tigers.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Locals and tourists took shelter across Mexico amid a wave of retaliatory violence after government forces killed a powerful cartel leader, with gunmen blocking highways and torching cars.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
With Ball torching the nets to the tune of 37 points on the strength of canning 12 of 20 attempts, including going 10 of 15 beyond the 3-point arc, and sparking impressive showings from Kon Knueppel (28 points) and Brandon Miller (22), the Wizards were no match for the Hornets.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 23 Feb. 2026
Atwood was firing back at would-be book-burners by torching an unburnable edition.
—Jon Wertheim, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Zach Harper, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2026
And the other option is to target Iranian energy infrastructure, which could result in Iran retaliating against the Gulf states and torching the entire regional infrastructure.
—Isaac Chotiner, New Yorker, 25 Mar. 2026
On Monday, the group claimed credit for torching four ambulances at a Jewish community rescue service outside the Machzike Hadath synagogue in London.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 24 Mar. 2026
Videos posted online showed settlers torching cars and buildings, with at least 10 Palestinians reported injured, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 23 Mar. 2026
And Kara Dunn, who played Clemson while at Georgia Tech, has actual experience torching the Tigers.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Locals and tourists took shelter across Mexico amid a wave of retaliatory violence after government forces killed a powerful cartel leader, with gunmen blocking highways and torching cars.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
With Ball torching the nets to the tune of 37 points on the strength of canning 12 of 20 attempts, including going 10 of 15 beyond the 3-point arc, and sparking impressive showings from Kon Knueppel (28 points) and Brandon Miller (22), the Wizards were no match for the Hornets.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 23 Feb. 2026
Atwood was firing back at would-be book-burners by torching an unburnable edition.
—Jon Wertheim, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torching
Verb
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Nearly 97 percent of female respondents reported burning sensations during urination, while 45 percent described amber to brown urine—a sign of dehydration and possible kidney strain.—
Jasmin Malik Chua,
Sourcing Journal,
31 Mar. 2026
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In the poor quarters of New Delhi, households struggling to pay for gas fired up chulhas, old-school wood-burning stoves, and hoped their tinder supplies held.—
Nathan Heller,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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However, it must be shielded from scorching sun.—
Joshua Siskin,
Oc Register,
28 Mar. 2026
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That series sent her through icy Arctic conditions, dense jungles, and scorching deserts — all within one calendar year, across multiple continents.—
Samantha Agate,
Charlotte Observer,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The hammer caused a firing pin to strike the base of a cartridge, igniting the primer and firing the bullet.—
Simon Akam,
Vanity Fair,
2 Apr. 2026
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The highly controversial policy is igniting a flurry of comments both for and against the new rules.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Torching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torching. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.
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