brush·fire
ˈbrəsh-ˌfī(-ə)r 
: involving mobilization only on a small and local scale
brushfire border wars
1
: a fire involving low-growing plants (such as scrub and brush)
2
: a minor conflict or crisis
putting out political brush fires
Examples of brushfire in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Pilar Arias, Fox News, 10 Dec. 2024
Traffic heading south on Falls Road toward the I-83 exit was backed up before 7 a.m.
The brush fire at Camp Small, the city’s wood waste collection area, was one of at least two fires that firefighters were tackling throughout the city on a subfreezing night with gusty winds.
—Michelle Deal-Zimmerman, Baltimore Sun, 6 Dec. 2024
The New York region is unlikely to ever have as many brush fires as out West.
—Michael S. Schmidt Hilary Howard Nicholas Nehamas Tyler Hicks, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2024
The dry conditions are contributing to the brush fires as well.
—Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for brushfire 
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.
Noun
Los Angeles County Fire Department units are on the ground and in the air fighting the brush fire, the department said on Facebook.
—Pilar Arias, Fox News, 10 Dec. 2024
Traffic heading south on Falls Road toward the I-83 exit was backed up before 7 a.m.
The brush fire at Camp Small, the city’s wood waste collection area, was one of at least two fires that firefighters were tackling throughout the city on a subfreezing night with gusty winds.
—Michelle Deal-Zimmerman, Baltimore Sun, 6 Dec. 2024
The New York region is unlikely to ever have as many brush fires as out West.
—Michael S. Schmidt Hilary Howard Nicholas Nehamas Tyler Hicks, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2024
The dry conditions are contributing to the brush fires as well.
—Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 30 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for brushfire
Dictionary Entries Near brushfire
Cite this Entry
“Brushfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brushfire. Accessed 25 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share