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
Read more Spiking West Bank violence adds another front
After almost a year of a brutal war with Hamas in Gaza, Israel is at the center of a tinderbox of multiple, interrelated Middle East conflicts.
—
Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 12 Sep. 2024
That includes talking with his guests about mismanagement of the natural world since Indigenous people were removed from the park, specifically how suppression of the low-severity fires that help maintain healthy forests has created a tinderbox.
—Karen Gardiner, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Aug. 2024
The two deaths of leaders from Iran's key proxies – one on Iranian soil – threatens to ignite the tinderbox of tensions between the long-time foes.
—Harriet Marsden, The Week Uk, theweek, 31 July 2024
The tinderbox only needed a further spark to ignite real violence, eventually provided by the brutal killing of three children.
—Katie Marie Davies, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tinderbox 
Nicole Fallert, USA TODAY, 12 Sep. 2024
That includes talking with his guests about mismanagement of the natural world since Indigenous people were removed from the park, specifically how suppression of the low-severity fires that help maintain healthy forests has created a tinderbox.
—Karen Gardiner, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 Aug. 2024
The two deaths of leaders from Iran's key proxies – one on Iranian soil – threatens to ignite the tinderbox of tensions between the long-time foes.
—Harriet Marsden, The Week Uk, theweek, 31 July 2024
The tinderbox only needed a further spark to ignite real violence, eventually provided by the brutal killing of three children.
—Katie Marie Davies, The Christian Science Monitor, 7 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for tinderbox
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'tinderbox.' 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
“Tinderbox.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tinderbox. Accessed 1 Oct. 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
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