IGNITING Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

igniting

verb

present participle of ignite

as in burning

to set (something) on fire tried using newspapers as kindling to ignite the logs in the fireplace

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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 igniting The discovery is the latest instance of CDE leadership telling employees bedbugs are not in the building, only for more to be discovered at a later date and igniting doubt among CDE’s workforce on whether treatment is effective. — Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026 The fracas has only elevated the film’s profile, with every tweet that Musk has fired off igniting a new wave of coverage. — Brent Lang, IndieWire, 2 Oct. 2026 Confronting the Nixon administration, the activists held the notorious former prison for 19 months, igniting a movement — America’s greatest civil rights story never told. — Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 29 Sep. 2026 Some shedding happens higher up by igniting the engine, but a lot of it happens lower down as the spacecraft reenters through the atmosphere. — Sven Bilén, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026 The James Madison transfer broke the deadlock against Maryland on a fourth-and-one near midfield, taking a direct snap 45 yards to the house and igniting scoring that seemingly never stopped. — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026 Starship uses hot staging, igniting its upper-stage engines before the booster’s engines have completely shut down. — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 27 Sep. 2026 Authorities are searching for two suspects who allegedly shot a person inside a Bellflower smoke shop before igniting the building with a Molotov cocktail. — Austin Turner, CBS News, 27 Sep. 2026 When Russia invaded its far smaller neighbor in February 2022, igniting Europe’s deadliest war in generations, he was galvanized. — Vivienne Walt, Fortune, 23 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for igniting

Verb

The intersection was littered with burning car parts, streaks of blood stained the asphalt, and black smoke filled the sky.

— James Queally, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
To help consumers make informed decisions about the health risks associated with gas-burning appliances, the state should require commonsense warning labels on gas equipment that explain how gas appliances may affect indoor air quality and health.

— Carol J. Williams, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026

Definition of burning

Verb

Check between presses to avoid overheating or scorching the fabric.

— Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 26 Sep. 2026
When Cody Turcotte arrived to fight a wildfire scorching homes in Spokane, Washington, last month, there weren't enough people at the scene to control it.

— Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of scorching

Verb

This wildfire season was supercharged by heavy rains in January that spurred vegetation growth, which became kindling when the summer heat arrived.

— Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
Even minor parks or embers might be carried into leaves or grass, kindling a fire that can swiftly expand.

— CA Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 14 July 2026

Definition of kindling

Verb

Prescott has started this season hot and leads the league in passing touchdowns, and Jackson is off to a similarly blistering start after torching the Saints and Indianapolis Colts in the first two games.

— Kyle Feldscher, CNN Money, 24 Sep. 2026
In Southeast Asia, wildfires are torching forests and peatlands in Indonesia, sending up plumes of toxic haze.

— EDNA TARIGAN, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of torching

Verb

The gendered backlash spilled offline into a recent council meeting and is inflaming political divisions within College Park.

— AJ Willingham, AJC.com, 22 Sep. 2026
After a stabbing in Southport, England, in 2024, viral posts falsely claiming that the suspect was a Muslim and an undocumented migrant spread rapidly to millions via X and other platforms, inflaming the riots that ensued.

— Anne Applebaum, The Atlantic, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of inflaming

Browse Nearby Words

ignites

igniting

ignoble

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“Igniting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/igniting. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of igniting

verb

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