inflammatory

adjective

in-ˈfla-mə-ˌtȯr-ē How to pronounce inflammatory (audio)
Definition of inflammatorynext
as in provocative
tending to excite political disorder or insurrection the restless crowd was stirred up by the inflammatory rhetoric

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 inflammatory Shaving, friction from clothing, ingrown hairs, and even certain deodorants can cause low-grade inflammation, which may lead to excess pigment known as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH). — Glamour, 2 Oct. 2026 Disrupting plaque all day, not just morning and night, lowers the inflammatory load dentists tie to systemic disease. — Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 2 Oct. 2026 Johnson, a longevity-maxxing advocate, announced in July that he was diagnosed with autoimmune gastritis, a chronic inflammatory condition where the immune system attacks the cells within the stomach lining. — Renée Onque, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026 The strongest evidence sits with clinic-grade lasers used by veterinarians as an adjunct for arthritis, wound healing and inflammatory conditions. — Hanna Wickes, Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for inflammatory
Recent Examples of Synonyms for inflammatory
  1. provocative
  2. seditious
  3. incendiary
Adjective
  • The sports media rarely treats athletes who espouse liberal or progressive political views as problematic, even when those views are provocative, divisive, or factually incorrect.
    — Bobby Burack OutKick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026
  • Others do not, such as the TV show conceit, which, though provocative in theory, will come across to many readers as functionally cosmetic.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of provocative
Adjective
  • Some were arrested over social media posts whose criticism of the government was alleged to be seditious.
    — Jennifer Jett, NBC news, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Its members used military formations during the January 6 attack, and the founder of the Oath Keepers was convicted of seditious conspiracy.
    — Daniel Benjamin, Foreign Affairs, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of seditious
Adjective
  • Megyn Kelly just made some incendiary comments about Olivia Rodrigo after the singer vocalized support for Jane Doe in the Cornell gang rape lawsuit.
    — Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Or were certain companies unwilling to take on the incendiary film due to their increasingly direct connections to Big Tech?
    — David Canfield, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of incendiary

Browse Nearby Words

inflammations
inflammatory
inflate
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Cite this Entry

“Inflammatory.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/inflammatory. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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