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
What happened next — her then-husband Joey Buttafuoco's 17-year-old mistress Amy Fisher showing up at her door and shooting her point-blank in the face — created an almost instant media firestorm.
—Janine Rubenstein, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
The dynamite dramedy chronicles the real-life 1977 media firestorm that came about when an outraged mortgage customer took a bank exec hostage.
—Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2026
As victims of last January’s firestorm continue to fight to rebuild and recover, the bigger picture may provide a sense of hope.
—Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Curiously, the authorities began their investigation into AFA’s finances after the firestorm that followed Rosario Central’s Champion of the League trophy in November.
—Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for firestorm
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Janine Rubenstein, PEOPLE, 16 Jan. 2026
The dynamite dramedy chronicles the real-life 1977 media firestorm that came about when an outraged mortgage customer took a bank exec hostage.
—Randy McMullen, Mercury News, 15 Jan. 2026
As victims of last January’s firestorm continue to fight to rebuild and recover, the bigger picture may provide a sense of hope.
—Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 13 Jan. 2026
Curiously, the authorities began their investigation into AFA’s finances after the firestorm that followed Rosario Central’s Champion of the League trophy in November.
—Felipe Cardenas, New York Times, 13 Jan. 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 16 Jan. 2026.
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