what is a tinderbox

A tinderbox is usually a box used in the past to hold tinder, flint, and steel for starting a fire.

It can also mean a place or situation that is very volatile and could erupt into violence or conflict easily.

Simple examples

• Historical meaning: “He kept a tinderbox for lighting the hearth.”

• Figurative meaning: “The region has become a tinderbox.”

In plain English

If someone says an area is a tinderbox, they mean it feels tense, unstable, and ready to “catch fire” metaphorically at any moment.