1
as in volcano
a potentially explosive place or situation
officials sought to calm the situation, which had grown into a tinderbox
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2
as in crisis
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of tinderbox
Destructive protests occasionally flare, leading some analysts to observe that Latin American politics remains a tinderbox.
—
Will Freeman, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2023
Current weather conditions — including a severe lack of rainfall this year in Los Angeles — have created a tinderbox in the region.
—Mia Sato, The Verge, 15 Jan. 2025
Climate whiplash, made worse by our actions, created a tinderbox.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
East County regularly is blasted by high winds and hot temperatures, conditions that dry out brush and can create a tinderbox waiting for a spark.
—Karen Kucher, The Mercury News, 6 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for tinderbox
Will Freeman, Foreign Affairs, 17 Oct. 2023
Current weather conditions — including a severe lack of rainfall this year in Los Angeles — have created a tinderbox in the region.
—Mia Sato, The Verge, 15 Jan. 2025
Climate whiplash, made worse by our actions, created a tinderbox.
—Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
East County regularly is blasted by high winds and hot temperatures, conditions that dry out brush and can create a tinderbox waiting for a spark.
—Karen Kucher, The Mercury News, 6 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for tinderbox
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tinderbox
Noun
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Magma began flowing at a volcano near the town of Grindavík, where some 40 homes have been evacuated, national broadcaster RUV said.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Apr. 2025
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The volcano’s gift This is not the first time banana farming has been under existential threat from Panama disease.—
Colette Davidson,
Christian Science Monitor,
28 Mar. 2025
Noun
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That’s a stark contrast to Ange Postecoglou’s high-intensity pressing style at Tottenham Hotspur, which is often cited as one of the reasons behind Spurs’ injury crisis and subsequent poor form this season.—
Steve Price,
Forbes.com,
8 Apr. 2025
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Their routines, quiet and mundane, signal a growing — and largely invisible — crisis that threatens New York City’s future.—
Jonah Markowitz,
New York Times,
8 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Munro was out sailing in Budd Inlet as the situation unfolded.—
Sarah Kuta,
Smithsonian Magazine,
3 Apr. 2025
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Judging by the numbers, though, the situation in New Mexico is even more dire.—
Dac Collins,
Outdoor Life,
3 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tinderbox.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tinderbox. Accessed 15 Apr. 2025.
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