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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Recent Examples of tinderbox
Forests have become tinderboxes overgrown with trees, shrubs, and other fuels due to lack of maintenance and decades of fire suppression—to the point where 80 million acres are in need of restoration.
—
Joel Thayer, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025
The big picture: Both Trump and President Biden will now face pressure to dial down the temperature ahead of an election that has transformed the country into a tinderbox, writes Axios' Zachary Basu.
—Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 14 July 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for tinderbox
Joel Thayer, Newsweek, 27 Jan. 2025
The big picture: Both Trump and President Biden will now face pressure to dial down the temperature ahead of an election that has transformed the country into a tinderbox, writes Axios' Zachary Basu.
—Justin Kaufmann, Axios, 14 July 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for tinderbox
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tinderbox
Noun
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The flight from Paris to the island of Réunion, a French overseas department in the Indian Ocean, takes 11 hours, skirting the smoldering crater of the Piton de la Fournaise volcano before landing just shy of the water.—
Jay Cheshes,
Smithsonian Magazine,
20 May 2025
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Axial Seamount is one of countless volcanoes that are underwater.—
Rong-Gong Lin II,
Los Angeles Times,
20 May 2025
Noun
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President Donald Trump has highlighted fentanyl overdoses as a public health crisis and national emergency, and repeatedly criticized both Canada and Mexico for not doing enough to stop cross-border drug sales to American consumers.—
Trevor Hughes,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
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In the wake of the 2008 financial crisis, only 10% of investors liquidated their entire 529 accounts, and 20% switched to less risky assets, according to an earlier survey by higher education expert Mark Kantrowitz.—
Jessica Dickler,
CNBC,
14 May 2025
Noun
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Other fans even modified Taylor Swift lyrics to fit the situation, showing off their creativity.—
Starr Bowenbank,
People.com,
22 May 2025
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Nearly two weeks later, sources close to the situation tell The Star that Self and his assistants are operating with the expectation that Vaughn, the 50-year-old Pasadena, California native, will indeed be hired as Norm Roberts’ replacement in the near future.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
21 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tinderbox.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tinderbox. Accessed 24 May. 2025.
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