as in to burn
to set (something) on fire
tried using newspapers as kindling to ignite the logs in the fireplace
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ignite
All 33 Raptor engines of SpaceX's 233-foot (71-meter) Super Heavy booster were ignited last weekend for the vehicle's launch simulation run.
—
Josh Dinner, Space.com, 13 Feb. 2025
Her tireless advocacy has ignited a lasting, generational momentum, equipping the Black community — especially women, with the resources, knowledge, and freedom to thrive.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 6 Feb. 2025
The View just ignited a significant blast from the past, as OG panelist Star Jones returned to the Hot Topics table to cohost the talk show in the absence of fellow original cast member Joy Behar.
—EW.com, 5 Feb. 2025
Redditors Turn Up the Heat The post ignited a slew of comments (currently over 350), with the story confounding fellow Redditors.
—Sarah Bregel, Parents, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for ignite 
Josh Dinner, Space.com, 13 Feb. 2025
Her tireless advocacy has ignited a lasting, generational momentum, equipping the Black community — especially women, with the resources, knowledge, and freedom to thrive.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 6 Feb. 2025
The View just ignited a significant blast from the past, as OG panelist Star Jones returned to the Hot Topics table to cohost the talk show in the absence of fellow original cast member Joy Behar.
—EW.com, 5 Feb. 2025
Redditors Turn Up the Heat The post ignited a slew of comments (currently over 350), with the story confounding fellow Redditors.
—Sarah Bregel, Parents, 5 Feb. 2025
See all Example Sentences for ignite
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ignite
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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Just don’t place them in direct sunlight, which will scorch their leaves.—
Arricca Elin SanSone,
Southern Living,
16 Feb. 2025
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Trump has already nixed most of the workers at the U.S. Agency for International Development, scorched the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and is set to dismantle the Education Department—all created and funded by Congress.—
Philip Elliott,
TIME,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The clip then cuts to Millington sitting quietly at home in a robe, repeatedly lighting a candle that her smiling son keeps blowing out for his own amusement.—
Kristan Hawkins,
Newsweek,
7 Feb. 2025
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In a black turtleneck and thick black spectacles, actor Chris Pratt ponders the walls of a gallery, where a banana has been duct taped and lit dramatically by an elegant square of light.—
Daniel Cassady,
ARTnews.com,
7 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Trump’s revival of some of that bellicose language especially inflames nerves in Panama, said political scientist Miguel Antonio Bernal.—
Tracy Wilkinson,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2025
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Nothing inflamed Catherine’s jealousy more than her sister’s wardrobe.—
Mara Bovsun,
New York Daily News,
9 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near ignite
Cite this Entry
“Ignite.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ignite. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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