1. small containers used to hold tinder and flint for making fire
Usage: historical
2. situations or places that are likely to become dangerous or violent very quickly
Usage: figurative

Examples

• The museum displayed antique tinderboxes used by travelers centuries ago.
• Soldiers carried tinderboxes to start campfires during long marches.
• The disputed border regions became tinderboxes ready to explode into conflict.
• Political tensions turned the city into one of several tinderboxes across the nation.
• The old tinderboxes required skill to produce a spark and ignite the tinder.
• Economic inequality created tinderboxes in urban areas throughout the country.