as in explosive
capable of catching or being set on fire don't store oily rags and other combustible materials in a hot attic

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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 combustible Too many people today who are deeply engaged in America's combustible political process have forgotten that there are more important things in life than politics. Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 11 July 2025 In recent months, Lee has tried to smooth the rougher edges of his public persona, vowing to mend the country’s increasingly combustible partisan rifts. Max Kim, Los Angeles Times, 3 June 2025 In turn, this can help alleviate nicotine cravings and reduce withdrawal symptoms, among smokers of combustible cigarettes as well as e-cigarettes (vaping). Joshua P. Cohen, Forbes.com, 5 July 2025 Tonight, the gravity of the occasion—perhaps the biggest reunion in our lifetime—makes the atmosphere combustible. Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 5 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for combustible
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combustible
Adjective
  • The blaze broke out on July 13 and burned for several days before undergoing explosive growth fueled by strong winds, high temperatures and low humidity.
    Christopher Cann, USA Today, 21 July 2025
  • In order to help retrieve the man from the cave, rescuers widened the cave using explosive charges at three key junctures carrying him to the surface.
    Ashley J. DiMella, FOXNews.com, 21 July 2025
Adjective
  • About 20 people were inside the synagogue in the downtown area of East Melbourne when a man poured flammable liquid on the front door of the synagogue on Albert Street before setting it on fire, Victoria state police said.
    Angus Watson, CNN Money, 5 July 2025
  • The city of Phoenix advised that residents should use fireworks in open spaces away from grass or flammable debris.
    Austin Corona, AZCentral.com, 3 July 2025
Adjective
  • And all this against an inflammable backdrop of geopolitical crises including but not limited to the Israel-Hamas war and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
    John Leicester, Quartz, 15 Apr. 2024
  • Heat also stresses old electrical systems — insulation breaks down; lubricants in relays dry out — and a not-insignificant amount of the subway’s electrical wiring dates to the 1920s and 1930s, some of it cloth-covered, inflammable, and pervious to water.
    Curbed, Curbed, 28 July 2023
Adjective
  • One fiery comment that’s floating around is that this could turn out to be another semblance of the infamous Sputnik crisis.
    Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
  • In another, cucumber kimchi, a fresh and crunchy side dressed in gochujang with a fiery kick that cuts through the richness filling the rest of my tray.
    Rachel Bernhard, jsonline.com, 22 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Combustible.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combustible. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

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