tinderbox

American

[tin-der-boks] / ˈtɪn dərˌbɒks /

noun

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

Berlin was the tinderbox of Europe.

tinderbox British

/ ˈtɪndəˌbɒks /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of tinderbox

First recorded in 1520–30; tinder + box ¹

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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

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

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 21, 2025

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

From BBC • Nov. 9, 2024

But their countryside retreat is another kind of tinderbox.

From Salon • Aug. 23, 2024

Rowan gathered them together, found Jonn's tinderbox, and managed to light a fire.

From "Rowan of Rin" by Emily Rodda

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023