firestorm
noun
fire·storm
ˈfī(-ə)r-ˌstȯrm 
1
: a very intense and destructive fire usually accompanied by high winds
The Rooses' house and gardens were obliterated in the 1991 Oakland firestorm.—
Craig Summers Black
Craig Summers Black
especially
: one that is started by attack with nuclear or incendiary weapons and that creates a powerful updraft which causes very strong inrushing winds to develop in the surrounding area
His goal was to create firestorms like the ones that had consumed Hamburg and Dresden, conflagrations so vast and intense that nothing could survive them … —David M. Kennedy
David M. Kennedy 2
a
: a sudden or violent outburst
a firestorm of public protest
b
: a raging controversy
a political firestorm
Examples of firestorm in a Sentence
The bombing left the city engulfed in a firestorm.
His proposal set off a political firestorm.
a firestorm of public protest
Recent Examples on the Web
Two months after the anniversary of the devastating Southern California firestorms, several legislators at the state Capitol unveiled a package of bills aimed at preventing wildfires and lessening their harms.
—Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Last month, the agency faced a firestorm of criticism for initially refusing to review an application from Moderna for an mRNA flu vaccine before ultimately accepting the application with some adjustments.
—Meg Tirrell, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
Elián González became the poster child of an international custody fight and a media firestorm as the boy's uncle and relatives in Miami fought with his father and the Cuban government over where the boy should live.
—Terry Collins, USA Today, 25 Feb. 2026
But his joke during the phone call about also having to invite the women and the subsequent laughter from the men, which was captured on video and circulated widely on social media, set off a firestorm of criticism, with many expressing frustration that the joke diminished the women's achievement.
—Doha Madani, NBC news, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for firestorm
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Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2026
Last month, the agency faced a firestorm of criticism for initially refusing to review an application from Moderna for an mRNA flu vaccine before ultimately accepting the application with some adjustments.
—Meg Tirrell, CNN Money, 5 Mar. 2026
Elián González became the poster child of an international custody fight and a media firestorm as the boy's uncle and relatives in Miami fought with his father and the Cuban government over where the boy should live.
—Terry Collins, USA Today, 25 Feb. 2026
But his joke during the phone call about also having to invite the women and the subsequent laughter from the men, which was captured on video and circulated widely on social media, set off a firestorm of criticism, with many expressing frustration that the joke diminished the women's achievement.
—Doha Madani, NBC news, 25 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for firestorm
Cite this Entry
“Firestorm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/firestorm. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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