as in burns
to set (something) on fire
tried using newspapers as kindling to ignite the logs in the fireplace
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Recent Examples of ignites
But when Tiffany gets pregnant with her first child and Carolyn simultaneously sells an essay to The New Yorker, mutual jealousy ignites.
—
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
The pilot light is a small flame that ignites the burner to heat the water in the tank.
—Katie Cloyd, Martha Stewart, 21 Apr. 2026
As greed ignites and alliances crumble, everyone is willing to kill for a chance at the money.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
Like an enzyme that works as a catalyst to speed up a chemical reaction, collaboration ignites new ideas for conjectures.
—Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2026
And that ignites the second half of the season.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
What begins as a shocking revelation ignites a fierce father-son rivalry fueled by power, ambition, and betrayal — with the global arms trade hanging in the balance.
—Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Apr. 2026
What begins as a shocking revelation ignites a fierce father-son rivalry fueled by power, ambition and betrayal — with the global arms trade hanging in the balance.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2026
If a battery ignites, the best thing to do is to immediately leave and call 911.
—Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
The pilot light is a small flame that ignites the burner to heat the water in the tank.
—Katie Cloyd, Martha Stewart, 21 Apr. 2026
As greed ignites and alliances crumble, everyone is willing to kill for a chance at the money.
—Alex Ritman, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
Like an enzyme that works as a catalyst to speed up a chemical reaction, collaboration ignites new ideas for conjectures.
—Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2026
And that ignites the second half of the season.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 16 Apr. 2026
What begins as a shocking revelation ignites a fierce father-son rivalry fueled by power, ambition, and betrayal — with the global arms trade hanging in the balance.
—Derek Lawrence, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Apr. 2026
What begins as a shocking revelation ignites a fierce father-son rivalry fueled by power, ambition and betrayal — with the global arms trade hanging in the balance.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 10 Apr. 2026
If a battery ignites, the best thing to do is to immediately leave and call 911.
—Fedor Zarkhin, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ignites
Verb
-
The bathroom is situated next to the kitchen and is notable for having an incinerating toilet – as its name implies, this burns waste to ash.—
Adam Williams
April 23,
New Atlas,
23 Apr. 2026
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The facility is positioned as a potential model for decarbonizing aviation, which burns roughly 100 billion gallons of jet fuel per year globally.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
22 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Tucson will also be at or near record temperatures through March 27 as the state’s unprecedented heat wave scorches on, the weather service said.—
Ray Stern,
AZCentral.com,
25 Mar. 2026
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As the world around them scorches under record heat, a family walks into the woods, asking what the future holds in this thermal dystopia.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The episode inflames the diplomatic spat between the two countries that began over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments about Taiwan.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Sensational or biased language inflames opinion before readers learn the facts.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
7 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
While Martin Scorsese called it one of the scariest movies of all time, The Uninvited kindles a wonderful romance between Rick and Stella.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Oct. 2025
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The star of Big Little Lies confessed her new film, Caught Stealing, kindles a powerful yearning for some aspects of the era.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Since the city adopted the video release policy more than a decade ago, experience has repeatedly demonstrated the fallacy of limiting inquiry to the precise moment when a police officer fires their gun.—
Jamie Kalven,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Garcia is opening his car door at that very moment, and fires nine shots at Denis with his 9 mm Glock pistol as Denis speeds toward and past him.—
Brittany Wallman,
Miami Herald,
29 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Ignites.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ignites. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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