Thesaurus results for ARSON

arson

noun

Definition of arson

as in fire

the illegal burning of a building or other property; the crime of setting fire to something The cause of the fire has not yet been determined, but investigators suspect arson. The town has suffered a rash of arson attacks.

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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 arson Two men from Maryland's Caroline County have been arrested on arson charges for allegedly intentionally setting fire to a shed at an apartment complex in August. — Michelle Richardson, CBS News, 12 Oct. 2026 A week before the March 5 election, the Reichstag erupted in flames, the target of a dramatic arson attack that left the country’s site and symbol of representative democracy a smoldering ruin. — Literary Hub, 9 Oct. 2026 In August, groups almost certainly linked to Russia launched arson attacks in Bulgaria, Estonia, Italy, and Poland, all likely designed to slow the flow of assistance to Ukraine. — Julianne Smith, Foreign Affairs, 7 Oct. 2026 Earlier this year, a wave of arson attacks targeting British Jews were linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 7 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for arson

Recent Examples of Synonyms for arson

Noun

In Lyon, France's third-largest city where about 20,000 protesters joined the march, a fire broke out inside a tourist office.

— SYLVIE CORBET, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
At the height of the incident, DeKalb fire crews blocked two right lanes of I-85 southbound and the entire access road next to it.

— Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 18 Oct. 2026

Definition of fire

Noun

This drastic change of faith comes after Crystal and his wife Janice Crystal (née Goldfinger) lost their 1930s ranch house in the Palisades wildfire in January 2025.

— Andrea Flores, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
The effect of wildfires on foliage are also little understood, says William Keeton, a forest ecologist at the University of Vermont.

— Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of wildfire

Noun

State investigators are still working to determine the cause of the blaze.

— Laura Bauer, Kansas City Star, 14 Oct. 2026
By de-energizing power lines, utility providers seek to lessen the chances that an electrical spark could be whipped by winds into a devastating blaze.

— Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of blaze

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arsenals

arson

arsonist

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“Arson.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/arson. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of arson

noun

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