as in provocative
tending to excite political disorder or insurrection the restless crowd was stirred up by the inflammatory rhetoric

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Example Sentences

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 inflammatory The exchange captures a fundamental philosophical difference—and one that echoes some of the most inflammatory debates in American politics. Judy Berman, TIME, 3 Mar. 2025 However, the film’s candidacy was damaged in the 11th hour during the beginning of final voting for the Oscars when a series of past inflammatory tweets from film star Karla Sofía Gascón resurfaced and circulated on social media. Wilson Chapman, IndieWire, 2 Mar. 2025 The inflammatory period after an injury is naturally longer in older adults, making wound healing slower.7 10. Angelica Bottaro, Verywell Health, 11 Mar. 2025 At his confirmation hearing, Makary said some ingredients cause a chronic, low-grade inflammatory reaction in the gastrointestinal tract. David Hilzenrath, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for inflammatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflammatory
Adjective
  • Deliberately provocative, the film stars Michael Gambon and Helen Mirren as the thief and the wife of the title.
    Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2025
  • His engaging and intimate biography provides a full picture of the woman unfairly accused of breaking up the Beatles, highlighting her long, provocative career as an avant-garde artist.
    Staff, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Tarrio was serving a 22-year prison sentence — the longest handed down in connection to the Capitol attack — after he was convicted of seditious conspiracy and other charges.
    Sarah Fortinsky, The Hill, 6 Feb. 2025
  • His clemency toward those convicted of crimes related to the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection – including seditious conspiracy and assaults on police officers – was different in key ways from the two previous efforts, by Andrew Johnson in 1868 and Ulysses S. Grant in 1873.
    David Cason, The Conversation, 7 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • In multiple instances, including in Seattle, Las Vegas and Colorado, Tesla cars and dealerships have been targeted with vandalism and even attacks that have included firing bullets at dealerships, burning cars and throwing incendiary devices.
    Anita Chabria, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2025
  • Burned Teslas are shown at a Tesla Collision Center after an individual used incendiary devices to set several vehicles on fire on March 18, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
    Kevin Breuninger, CNBC, 20 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Inflammatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflammatory. Accessed 3 Apr. 2025.

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