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
Kassia Bonesteel, CBS News, 19 June 2026
One brush fire from the summer storm then split into two, and the raging flames sent plumes of black smoke upward, darkening the skies for miles and fouling the air.
—Kairi Lowery, Miami Herald, 18 June 2026
The fire follows a brush fire that broke out at Camp Pendleton just days earlier, called the November Fire.
—Paris Barraza, USA Today, 16 June 2026
According to CalFire, on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, a brush fire northwest of Los Angeles erupted, prompting evacuation orders for thousands of people and spreading 5,000 acres by the end of the day.
—Christopher Edwards, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026
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Noun
An brush fire in Hayward on Friday afternoon burned some 25 acres before firefighters stopped its progress, authorities said.
—Kassia Bonesteel, CBS News, 19 June 2026
One brush fire from the summer storm then split into two, and the raging flames sent plumes of black smoke upward, darkening the skies for miles and fouling the air.
—Kairi Lowery, Miami Herald, 18 June 2026
The fire follows a brush fire that broke out at Camp Pendleton just days earlier, called the November Fire.
—Paris Barraza, USA Today, 16 June 2026
According to CalFire, on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025, a brush fire northwest of Los Angeles erupted, prompting evacuation orders for thousands of people and spreading 5,000 acres by the end of the day.
—Christopher Edwards, PEOPLE, 12 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for brushfire
Cite this Entry
“Brushfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brushfire. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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