1
: a very flammable substance adaptable for use as kindling
2
: something that serves to incite or inflame
that rhetoric was ready tinder for revolution—
Margaret Peters
Margaret PetersExamples of tinder in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
She’s got a lot of torch songs in her arsenal, and there is nothing like the LA Phil at its most understated to throw just enough tinder onto her unrequitedness to create a beautiful blaze.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 9 Aug. 2024
Trees turned to tinder by weeks of extreme heat are fueling a fast-moving fire in Northern California.
—Sarah Kaplan, Washington Post, 27 July 2024
The goal of what is termed a Public Safety Power Shutdown, or PSPS, is to prevent fires from starting when conditions are ripe for blazes to occur, including high winds, tinder dry conditions, low humidity and lightning storms.
—Carleen Johnson | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 24 July 2024
Two wet winters in a row and the end of drought conditions have kept forested areas moist but fostered abundant growth of grasses that are now drying rapidly into beautiful, golden tinder.
—Ethan Baron, The Mercury News, 9 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for tinder 
Chris Willman, Variety, 9 Aug. 2024
Trees turned to tinder by weeks of extreme heat are fueling a fast-moving fire in Northern California.
—Sarah Kaplan, Washington Post, 27 July 2024
The goal of what is termed a Public Safety Power Shutdown, or PSPS, is to prevent fires from starting when conditions are ripe for blazes to occur, including high winds, tinder dry conditions, low humidity and lightning storms.
—Carleen Johnson | The Center Square, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 24 July 2024
Two wet winters in a row and the end of drought conditions have kept forested areas moist but fostered abundant growth of grasses that are now drying rapidly into beautiful, golden tinder.
—Ethan Baron, The Mercury News, 9 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for tinder
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tinder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Tinder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tinder. Accessed 20 Aug. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tinder
noun
tin·der
ˈtin-dər 
: a material that burns easily and can be used as kindling
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