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
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
Meanwhile, there may have been Democratic malaise about the Biden-Harris administration, but that pales in comparison to the current political firestorm over Trump’s spending cuts, tariffs and other legally questionable policies, all of which could significantly impact county residents.
—Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025
Spyglass, the film’s production company, claimed her words were antisemitic, launching a social media firestorm.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 11 Apr. 2025
Her investigation plunges her into the heart of a life-changing event, providing her with a front-row seat to the chaos and intrigue of a bloody political firestorm.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 4 Apr. 2025
The Wisconsin Supreme Court election, on Tuesday, has generally become the center of a political firestorm, and has become the most expensive state supreme court race in American history, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University.
—Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firestorm
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Michael Smolens, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 Apr. 2025
Spyglass, the film’s production company, claimed her words were antisemitic, launching a social media firestorm.
—Barry Levitt, Time, 11 Apr. 2025
Her investigation plunges her into the heart of a life-changing event, providing her with a front-row seat to the chaos and intrigue of a bloody political firestorm.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 4 Apr. 2025
The Wisconsin Supreme Court election, on Tuesday, has generally become the center of a political firestorm, and has become the most expensive state supreme court race in American history, according to the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University.
—Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 30 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firestorm
Cite this Entry
“Firestorm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/firestorm. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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