as in burning
to set (something) on fire
police suspect that the owner torched the house for the insurance money
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Recent Examples of torching
But what happens if the Epstein-files story razes the entire forest, torching whatever trust is left in the political establishment, the Democratic Party very much included?
—
Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
Undrafted out of high school, Torkelson matriculated to Arizona State and started torching college pitching, eventually crushing Barry Bonds’ school record for home runs by a freshman.
—Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Carter, who appeared in only 27 of Sacramento’s first 71 games this season, went 11 of 18 from the field and 6 of 11 from 3-point range, torching a Golden State squad that didn’t want him last summer when the Kings and Warriors discussed a trade for Jonathan Kuminga.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 11 Apr. 2026
Just last week, two men and a teenager were arrested for allegedly torching ambulances operated by a Jewish community service in northwest London.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 6 Apr. 2026
On Monday, the group claimed credit for torching four ambulances at a Jewish community rescue service outside the Machzike Hadath synagogue in London.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 24 Mar. 2026
Videos posted online showed settlers torching cars and buildings, with at least 10 Palestinians reported injured, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 23 Mar. 2026
And Kara Dunn, who played Clemson while at Georgia Tech, has actual experience torching the Tigers.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Locals and tourists took shelter across Mexico amid a wave of retaliatory violence after government forces killed a powerful cartel leader, with gunmen blocking highways and torching cars.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 24 Apr. 2026
Undrafted out of high school, Torkelson matriculated to Arizona State and started torching college pitching, eventually crushing Barry Bonds’ school record for home runs by a freshman.
—Stephen J. Nesbitt, New York Times, 15 Apr. 2026
Carter, who appeared in only 27 of Sacramento’s first 71 games this season, went 11 of 18 from the field and 6 of 11 from 3-point range, torching a Golden State squad that didn’t want him last summer when the Kings and Warriors discussed a trade for Jonathan Kuminga.
—Jason Anderson, Sacbee.com, 11 Apr. 2026
Just last week, two men and a teenager were arrested for allegedly torching ambulances operated by a Jewish community service in northwest London.
—Kevin Dolak, HollywoodReporter, 6 Apr. 2026
On Monday, the group claimed credit for torching four ambulances at a Jewish community rescue service outside the Machzike Hadath synagogue in London.
—Washington Examiner Staff, The Washington Examiner, 24 Mar. 2026
Videos posted online showed settlers torching cars and buildings, with at least 10 Palestinians reported injured, according to the Palestine Red Crescent Society.
—Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 23 Mar. 2026
And Kara Dunn, who played Clemson while at Georgia Tech, has actual experience torching the Tigers.
—Ryan Kartje, Los Angeles Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Locals and tourists took shelter across Mexico amid a wave of retaliatory violence after government forces killed a powerful cartel leader, with gunmen blocking highways and torching cars.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torching
Verb
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Maps show where the wildfires are burning across Florida and Georgia.—
Mary Walrath-Holdridge,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
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The video shows stunned drivers making a break for it after the firework went off, even though 77 was still partially burning.—
Joe Bruno,
Charlotte Observer,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Blazers could not hold on after building a 65-59 halftime lead, an edge built by shooting a scorching 10-of-21 from 3-point range.—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Wildfires are currently scorching acres of land in South Georgia and Northern Florida.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
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People living in areas with red flag warnings are asked to take extra precautions to avoid accidentally igniting a fire.—
Adam Kovac,
Scientific American,
23 Apr. 2026
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According to the Attorney General's office, the defendants are accused of throwing incendiary devices at a Brasfield & Gorrie facility in Cobb County in May 2022, damaging property and igniting nearby land while employees were inside the building.—
Zachary Bynum,
CBS News,
23 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Torching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torching. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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