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
The incredibly tight and expensive housing market in L.A. was another tinderbox waiting to explode.
—
Bridget Read, Curbed, 15 Jan. 2025
The Pacific Palisades was a tinderbox waiting to happen, the experts said.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 10 Jan. 2025
Well before those dangerous conditions aligned and sparked the massive blazes that tore through some of L.A.'s most affluent neighborhoods this week, the region was already a tinderbox due, in part, to a lack of prescribed fires.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025
Los Angeles County, primed by drought-like conditions, was a tinderbox waiting for a spark.
—Hannah Singleton, WIRED, 8 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for tinderbox 
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Bridget Read, Curbed, 15 Jan. 2025
The Pacific Palisades was a tinderbox waiting to happen, the experts said.
—Julia Jacobo, ABC News, 10 Jan. 2025
Well before those dangerous conditions aligned and sparked the massive blazes that tore through some of L.A.'s most affluent neighborhoods this week, the region was already a tinderbox due, in part, to a lack of prescribed fires.
—Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Jan. 2025
Los Angeles County, primed by drought-like conditions, was a tinderbox waiting for a spark.
—Hannah Singleton, WIRED, 8 Jan. 2025
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 29 Jan. 2025.
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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