Word.ws English Dictionary

How to use incendiary in a sentence

17 example sentences · adjective, noun

Incendiary means capable of, or used for, or actually causing fire. Example: “Politics is an incendiary topic; it tends to cause fights to break out.”

Examples of incendiary by meaning

adjectiveCapable of, or used for, or actually causing fire.

  • We saw photographs of bodies riddled with pellets from fragmentation bombs or charred by incendiary weapons (besides napalm, the Americans also drop white phosphorus, Thermit, and magnesium on the Vietnamese).1969, Susan Sontag, “Trip to Hanoi”, in Styles of Radical Will, Kindle edition, Penguin Modern Classics, published 2009, →ISBN, page 246
  • As though on an incendiary rampage, the fires systematically devoured the contents of Edison's headquarters and facilities.2006, Edwin Black, chapter 1, in Internal Combustion

adjectiveOf a damaging fire, intentionally caused rather than accidental.

  • The Crown must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the fire was incendiary in origin; that is, it was not accidental and that it was either intentionally or recklessly set by the accused.2003 December 18, Adams, j., Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court, Trial Division, “R. v. Leite (F.), 2003 NLSCTD 181”, in CanLII...

adjectiveIntentionally stirring up strife, riot, rebellion.

  • Earlier that year Italian Jews had come under serious attack when an incendiary publication, Gli ebrei in Italia (The Jews in Italy), had flooded the bookshops.2014, Ian Thomson, Primo Levi: A Life, Metropolitan Books, →ISBN, page 123

adjectiveInflammatory, emotionally charged.

  • Politics is an incendiary topic; it tends to cause fights to break out.

nounSomething capable of causing fire, particularly a weapon.

  • The military used incendiaries to destroy the building. Fortunately, the fire didn't spread.

More sentences with incendiary

  • Be warned: among Titaniacs, the mystery ship's identity is an incendiary issue.2011, Allan Wolf, The Watch That Ends The Night: Voices from the Titanic, page 436. From the entry Titaniac
  • In the incendiary speech delivered by his clerics on Friday, Mr.2007 March 31, Edward Wong, “Shiite Cleric Condemns U.S. as His Militia Takes to Streets”, in New York Times. From the entry antioccupation
  • The number of incendiary fires increased and it seems reasonable to assume some relationship between the two events.1981, Sharon M. W. Bass, “Years of Challenge”, in For the Trees: An Illustrated History of the Ozark–St. Francis National Forests…. From the entry flare
  • The general-in-chief of pyromachy was holding in readiness a detail outfitted with supplies of tinder and torches for emergency incendiary action.1950, Paul Frischauer, So great a queen: the story of Esther, Queen of Persia, page 313. From the entry pyromachy
  • The Chemical Warfare Service in Hawaii is reconverting Napalm incendiary filler into liquid soap for use by the local military.1946, Robert Percy Williams, Military Establishment Appropriation Bill for 1947, page 848. From the entry beat one's swords into ploughshares
  • Incendiary bombs have been furnished for experimentation in removing stumps in areas where means other than burning is impossible.1946, Robert Percy Williams, Military Establishment Appropriation Bill for 1947, page 848. From the entry beat one's swords into ploughshares
  • You know the kind—"Mary Mush as Magdalene," and all that bosomy sort of stuff; warm, but not incendiary.1915 May, Thomas Addison, “The Taming of Aunt Maria”, in Lippincott’s Magazine, volume XCV, number 569, [New York, N.Y.]: McBride, Nast &…. From the entry bosomy
  • THANKS TO DIGG, the Web’s most frequented news-ranking site, we now know: Geeks like gaming gossip, incendiary technology policy stories, and NASA photos.2006, PC World, page 115. From the entry digger
  • Marjorie Taylor Greene, who has faced intense criticism this week over incendiary remarks she made in recent years as well as a viral video in which she harasses Hogg.2021 January 28, Chandelis Duster, “Parkland shooting survivor calls for House GOP leader to denounce Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene”, in…. From the entry David
  • Ahead of them a group of mandibulous sales men had set up their combustion cups and incendiary ratchets to demonstrate their wares to whatever officers might come by.2013, Charles Morgan, Youthful Folly, →ISBN, page 94. From the entry ratchet
  • The heat of Daniel's gaze was nearly incendiary as he took in the fall of her hair spilling across her shoulders and down to her elbows.2011, Elizabeth Camden, The Lady of Bolton Hill, page 162. From the entry fall

Meaning of incendiary

  1. adjective Capable of, or used for, or actually causing fire.
  2. adjective Of a damaging fire, intentionally caused rather than accidental.
  3. adjective Intentionally stirring up strife, riot, rebellion.

Full definition of incendiary

Questions about incendiary in a sentence

How do you use incendiary in a sentence?
Incendiary is used as an adjective and noun. For example: “Politics is an incendiary topic; it tends to cause fights to break out.”
What is a short sentence with incendiary?
“In the incendiary speech delivered by his clerics on Friday, Mr.”
What does incendiary mean?
Incendiary means capable of, or used for, or actually causing fire.

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: incendiary (page history and authors) and the entries each sentence comes from. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws chose the sentences, left out offensive ones and quotations older than 1900, and marked the word in each. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “How to use incendiary in a sentence.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/sentences/incendiary. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.