tinderbox
noun
tin·der·box
ˈtin-dər-ˌbäks 
1
a
: a metal box for holding tinder and usually a flint and steel for striking a spark
b
: a highly inflammable object or place
2
: a potentially explosive place or situation
Examples of tinderbox in a Sentence
That old house is really a tinderbox.
officials sought to calm the situation, which had grown into a tinderbox
Recent Examples on the Web
About two months before the Camp and Woolsey fires, outgoing Gov. Jerry Brown in 2018 signed a $1 billion plan to thin forests and clear out the tinderbox of California’s dead and dying trees.
—
Calmatters, The Mercury News, 4 Dec. 2024
Many within English football will discuss the matter privately but not go near the issue publicly, wary of setting off the latest tinderbox with their domestic supporters.
—Adam Crafton, The Athletic, 15 Aug. 2024
The Balkans, for example, remain a tinderbox, especially as some states—most recently North Macedonia—join NATO, whereas others, such as Serbia, seek favor with Russia.
—Alina Polyakova, Foreign Affairs, 11 June 2019
With his new book The Message, Ta-Nehisi Coates, a journalist who indelibly shaped the national conversation on race in America during the Obama years, turns his scrupulous attention toward yet another tinderbox of a problem: that of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
—Constance Grady, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
See all Example Sentences for tinderbox 
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.
Calmatters, The Mercury News, 4 Dec. 2024
Many within English football will discuss the matter privately but not go near the issue publicly, wary of setting off the latest tinderbox with their domestic supporters.
—Adam Crafton, The Athletic, 15 Aug. 2024
The Balkans, for example, remain a tinderbox, especially as some states—most recently North Macedonia—join NATO, whereas others, such as Serbia, seek favor with Russia.
—Alina Polyakova, Foreign Affairs, 11 June 2019
With his new book The Message, Ta-Nehisi Coates, a journalist who indelibly shaped the national conversation on race in America during the Obama years, turns his scrupulous attention toward yet another tinderbox of a problem: that of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
—Constance Grady, Vox, 7 Dec. 2018
See all Example Sentences for tinderbox
Dictionary Entries Near tinderbox
Cite this Entry
“Tinderbox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tinderbox. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
tinderbox
noun
tin·der·box
-ˌbäks
1
: a metal box for holding tinder and usually a flint and steel for striking a spark
2
: something that can easily catch fire
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share