tinder

noun

tin·​der ˈtin-dər How to pronounce tinder (audio)
1
: a very flammable substance adaptable for use as kindling
2
: something that serves to incite or inflame
… that rhetoric was ready tinder for revolution.—Margaret Peters

Examples of tinder in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
In a forest in tinder-dry France, a massive wildfire outside the southwestern city of Bordeaux uncovered a cache of what is believed to be World War II-era ammunition. — Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026 That is, heavy winter rains and snowfalls that encourage abundant spring growth, only to be dried to tinder by the now-successive heatwaves baking southern Europe and the American Southwest. — John Vaillant, Time, 8 Aug. 2026 Temperatures are set to soar in France and Spain this week as the continent heads into its fourth heat wave of the summer, and there is no rain forecast to relieve the tinder-dry conditions fuelling the fires. — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 28 July 2026 These grasses turn bright green when the rains come, then dry into a bed of tinder in the summer. — Angus Chen, STAT, 22 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for tinder

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English tynder; akin to Old High German zuntra tinder, Old English tendan to kindle

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of tinder was before the 12th century

Rhymes for tinder

See All Rhymes for tinder

Browse Nearby Words

tindalo
tinder
tinderbox
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Tinder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tinder. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

tinder

noun
tin·​der ˈtin-dər How to pronounce tinder (audio)
: a material that burns easily and can be used as kindling
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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