brush·fire
ˈbrəsh-ˌfī(-ə)r 
: involving mobilization only on a small and local scale
brushfire border wars
1
: a fire involving low-growing plants (such as scrub and brush)
2
: a minor conflict or crisis
putting out political brush fires
Examples of brushfire in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Dana Goodyear, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Idaho 55 has reopened following a brush fire north of Boise on Sunday evening.
—Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 15 Sep. 2025
Smoke from two uncontained brush fires in the Florida Everglades, including the 1,600-acre Mile Marker 39 blaze, is drifting eastward into Fort Lauderdale and western Broward County, prompting visibility warnings for morning drivers and residents.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
Ceriello also helped train firefighters who battled drought conditions and a massive brush fire last year that destroyed about 4 acres of Manhattan’s Inwood Hill Park.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brushfire
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Noun
In the early hours of January 1st, Highlands residents reported hearing fireworks and seeing a flash, just before a brush fire broke out in the hills above their neighborhood.
—Dana Goodyear, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025
Idaho 55 has reopened following a brush fire north of Boise on Sunday evening.
—Sally Krutzig, Idaho Statesman, 15 Sep. 2025
Smoke from two uncontained brush fires in the Florida Everglades, including the 1,600-acre Mile Marker 39 blaze, is drifting eastward into Fort Lauderdale and western Broward County, prompting visibility warnings for morning drivers and residents.
—Amanda Castro, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 Aug. 2025
Ceriello also helped train firefighters who battled drought conditions and a massive brush fire last year that destroyed about 4 acres of Manhattan’s Inwood Hill Park.
—Leonard Greene, New York Daily News, 18 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for brushfire
Cite this Entry
“Brushfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brushfire. Accessed 29 Sep. 2025.
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