fire 1 of 2

1
as in inferno
a destructive burning a number of suspicious fires in the neighborhood recently

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fire

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to shoot
to cause (a projectile) to be driven forward with force police officers firing rubber bullets

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2
as in to blast
to cause a weapon to release a missile with great force soldiers fired at the enemy in panic-stricken disorder

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of fire
Noun
The fires twice-postponed the nominations, which finally were announced Jan. 23, with Emilia Pérez emerging as the leading nominee with 13, followed by The Brutalist and Wicked with 10 apiece. Denise Petski, Deadline, 7 Feb. 2025 Based in Los Angeles County, born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Vita has been actively helping with fire relief efforts with her team, dropping off food and donating goods as soon as the disaster began. Ryma Chikhoune, WWD, 7 Feb. 2025
Verb
Irving is fired on the spot for assaulting a colleague (and disrespecting the ORTBO), leaving his horrified friends in his wake. Proma Khosla, IndieWire, 8 Feb. 2025 Reid was actually fired as the vastly successful coach of the Eagles despite taking the team to nine playoff appearances, five NFC championship games and one Super Bowl. Mike Bianchi, Orlando Sentinel, 8 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for fire 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fire
Noun
  • This inferno killed at least 12 people, both civilians and firefighters.
    Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 1 Feb. 2025
  • Most of all, the recurring visions of flames and matches that flicker through the depraved fever dreams of Wild at Heart (1990), a movie in which incandescent imagery looms so large that the opening credits unfold against an inferno of Halloween-orange flames.
    Zach Schonfeld, Vulture, 31 Jan. 2025
Noun
  • The rice serves as both a foundation and a mediator, bridging the creamy blandness of the pasta salad with the blunt-instrument intensity of the plate lunch’s third and central component, one kind or another of salty, savory meat.
    Helen Rosner, The New Yorker, 16 Feb. 2025
  • Staying hydrated, modifying your diet, reducing stress, practicing mindfulness, and identifying triggers can help reduce the intensity of hot flashes.
    Sarah Jividen, Health, 15 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Spoelstra even admits that the Butler ordeal challenged him.
    Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 Feb. 2025
  • The search for a kidney donor proved to be a challenging ordeal, with numerous potential donors either facing health issues or failing to match.
    Julia Fomby, Twin Cities, 7 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The other key plot point is Farrah’s use of stroboscopic light therapy to stimulate brain activity and neural responses.
    David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Feb. 2025
  • Avoid stimulating activities before bedtime, and there should be no exposure to electronic devices emitting blue light.
    Arielle Tschinkel, Parents, 12 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Ex-head coach Julen Lopetegui was sacked and had been replaced by Graham Potter.
    Roshane Thomas, The Athletic, 14 Feb. 2025
  • He was sacked three times and threw two interceptions, finishing with a QB rating of 42.2. NFL pundits began to question Mahomes’ legacy in the immediate aftermath of the game.
    Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 12 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • Katharina told the outlet that her family used to throw parties here in the summer for friends and that one of her six sons actually held his 150-person wedding on the grounds.
    Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 10 Feb. 2025
  • Everyone was being so cautious (when the album debuted at No. 1), and there was really no party to throw.
    Chris Willman, Variety, 10 Feb. 2025
Verb
  • The pair, who met as college undergrads, both burned with idealism and recognized their privilege could be leveraged for a game-changing idea.
    Carole Horst, Variety, 13 Sep. 2023
  • The Ellen MacArthur Foundation promotes circular fashion and says that, in the United States, an amount of clothing equal to a garbage truck is ferried to landfills or burned every second.
    Neeti Mehra, Treehugger, 13 Sep. 2023
Noun
  • The unexpected uptick in inflation could dampen some of the business enthusiasm that arose after Trump's election on promises to reduce regulation and cut taxes.
    CHRISTOPHER RUGABER THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, arkansasonline.com, 13 Feb. 2025
  • Many of the nation’s sheriffs have responded with enthusiasm.
    Eileen Sullivan, New York Times, 12 Feb. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fire. Accessed 23 Feb. 2025.

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