1
as in inferno
a destructive burning
a number of suspicious fires in the neighborhood recently
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in intensity
depth of feeling
had she the fire in her heart that a run for the White House requires?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in ordeal
a test of faith, patience, or strength
asked to be sent to the front lines, as he was eager to prove himself in the fire of battle
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
2
3
as in to stimulate
to give life, vigor, or spirit to
a school outing to the natural history museum fired his imagination, and he grew up to become an eminent paleontologist
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to sack
to let go from office, service, or employment
fired the secretary for incompetence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to throw
to send through the air especially with a quick forward motion of the arm
fired a pass to the running back
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in to burn
to set (something) on fire
lit some kindling before attempting to fire the logs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fire
Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 28 Apr. 2026
The defendant was one of two teenagers under 18 who tried to set a synagogue in Brno on fire in January 2024 by using an improvised device.
—ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026
Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 4 May 2026
Howard almost seems like somebody who would be firing somebody today, not somebody who would be firing somebody in 1949.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fire
Noun
Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.
—Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 28 Apr. 2026
The defendant was one of two teenagers under 18 who tried to set a synagogue in Brno on fire in January 2024 by using an improvised device.
—ABC News, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
The Avs’ leading scorer fired at the Minnesota goal, caught his own rebound, stopped, turned left, and slid the puck diagonally to a hard-charging Artturi Lehkonen.
—Sean Keeler, Denver Post, 4 May 2026
Howard almost seems like somebody who would be firing somebody today, not somebody who would be firing somebody in 1949.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 4 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for fire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fire
Noun
-
Pratt took aim at Bass over the lack of water available during the inferno, with fire hydrants running dry.—
David Zahniser,
Los Angeles Times,
7 May 2026
-
Chile’s inferno was fueled by extreme heat, with temperatures pushing above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and abnormally dry conditions — but it was also driven by human changes to the landscape.—
Stefano Pozzebon,
CNN Money,
26 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The intensity of its light continues to grow as Rich and Abby Zawadzki lead the way in the circle.—
Rick Armstrong,
Chicago Tribune,
7 May 2026
-
The article explored the poignant sibling renaissance between Vuong and his younger brother Nicky after the death of their mother; the decade-wide gulf between their life experiences became less notable as the process of bereavement threw them together with great intensity.—
Sarah Moroz,
Literary Hub,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Krakauer survived a deadly ordeal on Everest—a high price to pay for a remarkable book.—
Dan Zak,
The Atlantic,
3 May 2026
-
The ordeal, which exposed fierce acrimony between House and Senate Republicans, left thousands of workers without pay, upended air travel and jeopardized Americans' safety.—
Nicole Fallert,
USA Today,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
One of the victims, age 35, was shot in the right leg, while the other, a 30-year-old, was struck in the abdomen, cops said.—
Kerry Burke,
New York Daily News,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Also, the Spurs are due for shooting regression from deep, whereas the Blazers have gotten unlucky from 3-point range.—
Geoff Clark OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Inevitably, team evil has cooler powers, like Sindel’s scream and Kung Lao’s hat of doom, but in addition to allotting an inordinate amount of its combat time to Shao Kahn, who’s just a hulking guy with a hammer, the movie’s big visual idea is characters blasting one another with beams.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
6 May 2026
-
To test the thermal system under flight conditions, CIRA used its own in-house plasma wind tunnel — the largest in the world — to bombard the components with a jet of gas blasted at 10 times the speed of sound.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Coloring helps Kathy with her dementia, calming her anxiety and helping stimulate cognition.—
Janet W. Lee,
NPR,
7 May 2026
-
Lion’s mane stimulates nerve growth factor and neurogenesis, enhances memory, focus, clarity and mood, and chaga mushrooms can enhance physical performance, oxygen utilization and give an endurance boost.—
Ryan Brennan
May 6,
Sacbee.com,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Andy Sachs (Hathaway) has just been sacked from her respected position as an award-winning reporter at a vital, forward-thinking political news outlet.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
1 May 2026
-
While Troy may well have been sacked in a war, historians are largely unwilling to accept that it was ever destroyed by a crack team of Greek soldiers hidden inside a giant wooden horse.—
Gitanjali Roy,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Sasaki rebounded to throw three perfect innings to finish his outing.—
Maddie Lee,
Los Angeles Times,
3 May 2026
-
The Supreme Court’s rollback of the Voting Rights Act is already throwing the 2026 midterm elections into flux, as states weigh last-minute changes to their congressional maps, while preparing for a much broader redistricting battle in the years beyond.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
2 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fire. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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