tinderbox

American  

[tin-der-boks] / ˈtɪn dərˌbɒks /

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.

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tinderbox British  

/ 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

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Etymology

Origin of tinderbox

First recorded in 1520–30; tinder + box ¹

Example Sentences

Economists promised this demographic cohort would deliver a dividend, but in many instances it has turned into a tinderbox as people struggle to find work.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 10, 2025

Residents are quick to point out that the pizza shop that serves as the tinderbox of the film never existed—the set was built so it could be destroyed in the filming.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 20, 2025

Oliver Fry of Surrey Wildlife Trust says conditions are incredibly dry on the heathlands of Surrey, which creates "tinderbox conditions".

From BBC • Apr. 25, 2025

After months of drought, Southern California was a tinderbox, one spark away from going up in flames.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2025

The mistress was too mean to invest in a tinderbox, but she was mortified to be thought a careless housewife who let her kitchen fire die, so she put Lyddie in charge of it.

From "Lyddie" by Katherine Paterson