torch 1 of 2

noun

ˈtȯrch How to pronounce torch (audio)
Definition of torchnext
as in igniter
a person who deliberately and unlawfully sets fire to a building or other property several suspicious fires in the past few months have probably been set by the same torch

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torch

2 of 2

verb

as in to burn
to set (something) on fire police suspect that the owner torched the house for the insurance money

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of torch
Noun
Kevin seemed to be reeling as his torch was snuffed by Jeff Probst. — Dalton Ross, EW.com, 6 Mar. 2025 To add to the troubles, night time is truly pitch-black — even a torch only allows the player to see a few feet in front of them. — Issy Van Der Velde, Rolling Stone, 20 Feb. 2025
Verb
The Red Shirts torched the Black newspaper’s office, posed for pictures in front of its smoking ruins, installed Mr. Waddell as mayor, and sent hundreds of Black residents fleeing into the woods. — Essence, 8 Feb. 2025 Nearby homes were torched by militants and their roofs blasted off during fighting on Oct. 7. — Associated Press, TIME, 22 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for torch
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torch
  1. burn
  2. light
  3. firebug
  4. ignite
  5. fire
  6. kindle
  7. scorch
Verb
  • The pair, who met as college undergrads, both burned with idealism and recognized their privilege could be leveraged for a game-changing idea.
    — Carole Horst, Variety, 13 Sep. 2023
  • The Ellen MacArthur Foundation promotes circular fashion and says that, in the United States, an amount of clothing equal to a garbage truck is ferried to landfills or burned every second.
    — Neeti Mehra, Treehugger, 13 Sep. 2023
Definition of burn
Verb
  • That failure did not light a fire so much as keep the pilot light on.
    — Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 13 Mar. 2025
  • The location reopened in May of last year: ATMs are walled in by vertical stripes of handmade blue subway tile and lit by bulbous, ’60s-style lights.
    — Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 12 Mar. 2025
Definition of light
Noun
  • In video released by police, the firebug could be seen setting fire to a small pile of trash next to the head of a sleeping passenger stretched out on the seat.
    — Elizabeth Keogh, New York Daily News, 12 Feb. 2025
  • The menacing firebug lit several blazes in South Ozone Park on July 4, including a house fire that left two residents hospitalized for more than a month.
    — Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 19 Nov. 2024
Definition of firebug
Verb
  • Residents in the affected areas are advised to exercise extreme caution with any activities that could potentially ignite fires.
    — Mark Davis, Newsweek, 14 Mar. 2025
  • That threatens to further ignite the trade war, forcing countries to retaliate in ways that could spur Trump to add more levies of his own under the mantle of reciprocity.
    — Bloomberg, The Mercury News, 13 Mar. 2025
Definition of ignite
Verb
  • Amber Portwood shut down claims she was fired from Teen Mom: The Next Chapter.
    — Jessica Wang, EW.com, 17 Mar. 2025
  • Two federal judges and an independent agency that assesses government personnel decisions have already ordered that fired USDA employees be reinstated.
    — Kate Knibbs, WIRED, 17 Mar. 2025
Definition of fire
Verb
  • Just having the labels helped kindle my interest in playing around with things.
    — Oshan Jarow, Vox, 8 Jan. 2025
  • All told, the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield started the year low, burst higher amid signs that inflation would be more stubborn than expected, then tumbled in the summer as inflation fears subsided and the unemployment rate rose to a level that kindled recession fears.
    — Jeff Cox, CNBC, 3 Jan. 2025
Definition of kindle
Verb
  • Jana remembers those hours early on Jan. 8, her 49th birthday, when, from the Palisades to Eaton Canyon, tens of thousands of Angelenos were overrun by wind, flames and embers that scorched and raced like bullets.
    — Jeffrey Fleishman, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2025
  • The landing site was significantly hotter: a scorching 355ºK (82°C or just under 180°F), at least 20ºK higher than predicted.
    — Tom Hawking, Popular Science, 6 Mar. 2025
Definition of scorch

Phrases Containing torch

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Cite this Entry

“Torch.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torch. Accessed 24 Mar. 2025.

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More from Merriam-Webster on torch

Nglish: Translation of torch for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about torch

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