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
Aircraft were ready for an increase in fire activity, especially on the canyon edges, where the fire could spread into grass and sagebrush at lower elevations, according to the management team. Rey Covarrubias Jr, AZCentral.com, 26 July 2025 The fire agency noted that the tragedy is the fourth deadly fire this week involving a smoke alarm that was not working properly. Charmaine Patterson, People.com, 26 July 2025
Verb
Still, a few days later, she got fired, Dwyer said in her memo. Dave Boucher, Freep.com, 14 July 2025 Apparently, Señor Musk is now working for the government and firing a lot of people from their jobs—and really enjoying it. Larry David, New Yorker, 14 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for fire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fire
Noun
  • The issue was brought to his attention by reporting from The Bee and other news outlets highlighting a stark difference between state and federal law concerning who can be licensed to work with high-grade explosives like those that sparked an inferno in Esparto on July 1.
    Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 17 July 2025
  • Edison International Chief Executive Pedro Pizarro told The Times in April that evidence including videos and data from the lines suggests the possibility that the idle equipment was reenergized through a phenomenon called induction and sparked the inferno.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2025
Noun
  • Progress slowly: Gradually increase the intensity of your workouts to avoid overtraining.
    Aubrey Bailey, Verywell Health, 22 July 2025
  • July is on course to set new records for the intensity of cross-border attacks. LONDON -- Russia and Ukraine again exchanged a series of major overnight drone strikes as the two sides maneuvered ahead of a possible resumption of ceasefire talks later this week.
    David Brennan, ABC News, 21 July 2025
Noun
  • One reported attendee live-tweeted the entire ordeal and claimed Ye started the show over 45 minutes late.
    Mya Abraham, VIBE.com, 14 July 2025
  • Taissa Farmiga, who plays Gladys, graciously spoke with The Hollywood Reporter and answered several questions regarding her beloved character’s state of mind throughout this especially harrowing ordeal.
    Ronda Racha Penrice, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2025
Verb
  • But policymakers have so far avoided the mass cash handouts that the U.S. and Hong Kong gave residents to stimulate spending after the pandemic.
    Evelyn Cheng, CNBC, 23 July 2025
  • The bill follows advocacy efforts by TKO, the parent company of UFC and WWE, to stimulate interest in Congress for creating more and better professional opportunities for boxers in the U.S.
    Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 23 July 2025
Verb
  • This is the first time a studio has put tickets for sale this early in advance, but considering Nolan has a loyal army of fans large enough to sack a city, there certainly won’t be any shortage of uptake.
    Benny Har-Even, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
  • Red Bull driver Max Verstappen backed former boss Christian Horner before he got sacked by the higher-ups at the racing team.
    Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
Verb
  • Through his first eight seasons with the Panthers, Newton threw for over 3,000 yards each year.
    Justin Grasso, MSNBC Newsweek, 15 July 2025
  • Authorities believe Bryant is the man captured on surveillance video throwing a Molotov cocktail through the window of the building, according to an arrest affidavit cited by the Denver Post and Colorado Public Radio (CPR).
    Ben Brachfeld, People.com, 15 July 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
  • There is perhaps even more diversity around technology transfer, with rules, attitudes and enthusiasm varying significantly between universities.
    Trevor Clawson, Forbes.com, 23 July 2025
  • But its interest would set off a free-for-all among large railroads and pose a test of the Trump administration’s enthusiasm for industrial consolidation.
    Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 21 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fire. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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