firestorm
noun
fire·storm
ˈfī(-ə)r-ˌstȯrm 
1
: a very intense and destructive fire usually accompanied by high winds
The Rooses' house and gardens were obliterated in the 1991 Oakland firestorm.—
Craig Summers Black
Craig Summers Black
especially
: one that is started by attack with nuclear or incendiary weapons and that creates a powerful updraft which causes very strong inrushing winds to develop in the surrounding area
His goal was to create firestorms like the ones that had consumed Hamburg and Dresden, conflagrations so vast and intense that nothing could survive them … —David M. Kennedy
David M. Kennedy 2
a
: a sudden or violent outburst
a firestorm of public protest
b
: a raging controversy
a political firestorm
Synonyms
Examples of firestorm in a Sentence
The bombing left the city engulfed in a firestorm.
His proposal set off a political firestorm.
a firestorm of public protest
Recent Examples on the Web
Amazon’s Jeff Bezos set off a media firestorm when it was announced just before the election that the Washington Post, of which Bezos is also the owner, would not endorse any candidate.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 14 Dec. 2024
At the college level, San Jose State's volleyball team was at the center of a national media firestorm this season over the presence of a transgender athlete on the team and a teammate being involved in multiple lawsuits over the issue.
—Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 11 Dec. 2024
The league has not staged a game in the country since 2019, when a tweet in support of pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong from the Houston Rockets’ then general manager Daryl Morey sparked a political firestorm.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN, 6 Dec. 2024
Taufiq’s recording of the Nov. 23 incident has gone viral on social media, directing a firestorm of anger toward the attacker.
—Sakshi Venkatraman, NBC News, 6 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for firestorm 
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Niall Stanage, The Hill, 14 Dec. 2024
At the college level, San Jose State's volleyball team was at the center of a national media firestorm this season over the presence of a transgender athlete on the team and a teammate being involved in multiple lawsuits over the issue.
—Jackson Thompson, Fox News, 11 Dec. 2024
The league has not staged a game in the country since 2019, when a tweet in support of pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong from the Houston Rockets’ then general manager Daryl Morey sparked a political firestorm.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN, 6 Dec. 2024
Taufiq’s recording of the Nov. 23 incident has gone viral on social media, directing a firestorm of anger toward the attacker.
—Sakshi Venkatraman, NBC News, 6 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for firestorm
Articles Related to firestorm
Dictionary Entries Near firestorm
Cite this Entry
“Firestorm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/firestorm. Accessed 3 Jan. 2025.
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