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
When a young girl impregnated by her pedophile stepfather unwittingly lands there, her arrival is the spark that lights a tinderbox.
—
New York Times, 8 July 2024
Drought conditions in Los Angeles made the area a tinderbox – flammable conditions exacerbated by the fact that Southern California had unusually wet weather from 2022 to 2024.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 13 Jan. 2025
Israel is at the center of a tinderbox of multiple, interrelated Middle East conflicts.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 12 Sep. 2024
Millions of Californians already live in tinderbox canyons and at the edges of shrub fields and overgrown forests.
—Calmatters, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tinderbox
New York Times, 8 July 2024
Drought conditions in Los Angeles made the area a tinderbox – flammable conditions exacerbated by the fact that Southern California had unusually wet weather from 2022 to 2024.
—Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 13 Jan. 2025
Israel is at the center of a tinderbox of multiple, interrelated Middle East conflicts.
—Kim Hjelmgaard, USA TODAY, 12 Sep. 2024
Millions of Californians already live in tinderbox canyons and at the edges of shrub fields and overgrown forests.
—Calmatters, Mercury News, 30 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for tinderbox
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tinderbox
Noun
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Geologists recorded an avalanche of searing gas clouds mixed with rocks and lava traveling up to 3 miles down the volcano's slopes during the eruption.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 July 2025
-
However, a secret held for decades by the U.S. military is far more terrifying than any volcano.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
7 July 2025
Noun
-
The Carpenters’ involvement has given some Democratic lawmakers the opportunity to address the housing crisis with the blessing of a construction union.—
CalMatters,
Mercury News,
13 July 2025
-
Instead of fixing California, Newsom has been busy creating new crises.—
Melissa Melendez,
Oc Register,
13 July 2025
Noun
-
Lil Uzi Vert has a sticky situation on their hands.—
Armon Sadler,
VIBE.com,
8 July 2025
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So, the situation in Hungary is that no one knows what the rules actually are.—
Diana Lodderhose,
Deadline,
8 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tinderbox.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tinderbox. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
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