brushfire

1 of 2

adjective

brush·​fire ˈbrəsh-ˌfī(-ə)r How to pronounce brushfire (audio)
: involving mobilization only on a small and local scale
brushfire border wars

brush fire

2 of 2

noun

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
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
In New York City, brush fires scorched parts of Prospect and Inwood Hill parks over the past week. Evan Bush, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024 Meanwhile, another brush fire cropped up about 60 miles northwest of the Bridge fire Wednesday morning at the north perimeter of the Angeles National Forest in Palmdale. Hannah Fry, Los Angeles Times, 11 Sep. 2024 The brush fire was reported at around 2:15 p.m. near Soboba Road and Gilman Spring Road north of San Jacinto, according to the Riverside County Fire Department. Landon Mion, Fox News, 2 Sep. 2024 The brush fire was visible south of Loop 202 near Ahwatukee and south of South Mountain. Rey Covarrubias Jr., The Arizona Republic, 28 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for brushfire 

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1954, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1850, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of brushfire was in 1850

Dictionary Entries Near brushfire

brushed

brushfire

brush fire

Cite this Entry

“Brushfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brushfire. Accessed 24 Nov. 2024.

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