inflaming 1 of 2

adjective

variants also enflaming
as in hostile

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inflaming

2 of 2

verb

variants also enflaming
present participle of inflame
1
as in angering
to make angry the newspaper editorial inflamed her enough to inspire her to dash off a letter to the editor

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in burning
to set (something) on fire a carelessly tossed cigarette inflamed the papers in the trash can

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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 inflaming
Verb
Relying on remote technical collection could also avoid inflaming opposition by field officers who may not be prepared to take great personal risks to help the private sector. — David S. Cohen, Foreign Affairs, 8 Oct. 2026 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 This incident continued to come up all season, dividing the group and inflaming the relationship between the Bookos and married couple Janet and Jason Caperna. — Kate Aurthur, Variety, 2 Sep. 2026 Chad Gable spent much of last year recovering from surgery after inflaming lucha libre fans with his El Grande Americano gimmick. — Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 3 Aug. 2026 Containing Iran’s influence without inflaming a domestic front appears to be the priority. — Mohammed Sergie, semafor.com, 15 June 2026 Footage of an activist being dragged away from the development went viral, further inflaming public opposition. — Emmet Lyons, CBS News, 6 June 2026 The federal government has denied allegations of substandard conditions and accused protesters of inflaming tensions. — ABC News, 4 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflaming
  1. hostile
  2. angering
  3. burning
  4. riling
  5. infuriating
  6. igniting
  7. maddening
  8. enraging
Adjective
  • Still, her willingness to enjoy a hostile road crowd offers a useful perspective in a league where interactions with spectators have become such a consuming subject.
    — Dan Zaksheske OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Portuguese Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel said the approval didn’t include hostile actions that go against international law.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of hostile
Verb
  • The widespread use of arrests, tear gas and riot-control weapons against teenagers is fueling defiance and angering some parents and teachers.
    — NICOLAS GARRIGA, Arkansas Online, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Spain is hard-hit due to small rental market The housing crunch has been simmering for years in Spain, eating into household budgets and angering voters.
    — Joseph Wilson, Chicago Tribune, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of angering
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
Adjective
  • The only thing more riling than a referee’s interference in a sports event is a politician’s.
    — Sally Jenkins, The Atlantic, 6 July 2026
Definition of riling
Verb
  • Some administration officials argue that Washington is merely trying to avoid unnecessarily infuriating Beijing.
    — David Sacks, Foreign Affairs, 28 Sep. 2026
  • That makes Union Town more cumulatively powerful at minute 106 than at any single point, no matter how sad or harrowing or infuriating the stories and experiences are.
    — Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of infuriating
Verb
  • 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
Definition of igniting
Adjective
  • Capable of flashes of brilliance, but with maddening periods of inconsistency.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
  • Companies have turned efforts to sign up — and maddening cancellations — into a booming business, one supercharged by the pandemic, when millions of customers shifted their shopping online.
    — Lindsay Owens, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of maddening
Verb
  • All of which makes Animals’s failure that much more heartbreaking and enraging.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2026
  • There’s a 10-minute monologue in the middle of the movie that few actors could pull off as compellingly, a rant that’s hilarious, enraging, triumphant, and resigned in equal measures.
    — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of enraging

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Cite this Entry

“Inflaming.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflaming. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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