tinderbox

[ tin-der-boks ]

noun

1. a box for holding tinder, usually fitted with a flint and steel.
2. a person or thing that is highly excitable, explosive, inflammable, etc.; a potential source of widespread violence:

   Berlin was the tinderbox of Europe.

tinderbox

/ ˈtɪndəˌbɒks /

noun

1. a box used formerly for holding tinder, esp one fitted with a flint and steel
2. a person or thing that is particularly touchy or explosive

Word History and Origins

Origin of tinderbox¹

First recorded in 1520–30; tinder + box ¹

Example Sentences

Glasgow was known as the tinderbox city at that time, it was a disaster waiting to happen.

From BBC

Abortion rights, always a polarizing issue in American politics, became an electoral tinderbox in 2022 after the Supreme Court overturned Roe vs.

From Los Angeles Times

The fires may be mostly started by humans, but they have been made worse by Brazil’s worst-ever drought, which has turned the normally damp vegetation into a dry tinderbox.

From BBC

But their countryside retreat is another kind of tinderbox.

From Salon

"You did all this in a tinderbox atmosphere where it only takes the actions of one person to spark very serious group violence," Judge Julian Lambert said.

From BBC