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
Such a boom and bust cycle means a lot of lush greenery that grows in the rainy times, and a lot of dead leaves, trees and other tinder that gets left behind when things dry.
—Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 10 Jan. 2025
In general, a market this oversold means there’s plenty of tinder for a rally and any bit of good news will provide the spark.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 20 Dec. 2024
At most of these establishments the particulars were largely the same: sheets, blankets, and furniture piled atop mattresses in a tinder heap; apothecary vials left behind at the scene; guestbook listings indicating that a young man with a generic name had checked into the room.
—Longreads, 3 Oct. 2024
But the incident became tinder for online outrage and speculation.
—Jessica Pishko, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tinder 
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.
Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 10 Jan. 2025
In general, a market this oversold means there’s plenty of tinder for a rally and any bit of good news will provide the spark.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 20 Dec. 2024
At most of these establishments the particulars were largely the same: sheets, blankets, and furniture piled atop mattresses in a tinder heap; apothecary vials left behind at the scene; guestbook listings indicating that a young man with a generic name had checked into the room.
—Longreads, 3 Oct. 2024
But the incident became tinder for online outrage and speculation.
—Jessica Pishko, The New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tinder
Dictionary Entries Near tinder
Cite this Entry
“Tinder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tinder. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tinder
noun
tin·der
ˈtin-dər 
: a material that burns easily and can be used as kindling
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share