firebreak

noun

fire·​break ˈfī(-ə)r-ˌbrāk How to pronounce firebreak (audio)
: a barrier of cleared or plowed land intended to check a forest or grass fire

Examples of firebreak in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
While Ramsey was learning the delicate art of building firebreaks, a large fire broke out just outside the town. Marc Weingarten, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2025 Speaking at the bill signing ceremony, Green said Hawaii needed to build more firebreaks and pay a fire marshal. Marni Rose McFall, MSNBC Newsweek, 29 May 2025 If each homeowner has removed vegetation from the first five feet around their house, if the neighborhood has kept its roads clear and made firebreaks where fire would be likeliest to enter, a place has much less of a chance of burning down, even in major fires. Zoë Schlanger, The Atlantic, 18 Jan. 2025 One of our cameras was set up on a firebreak below a ridgeline stand of old-growth longleaf pines. Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 1 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for firebreak

Word History

First Known Use

1827, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of firebreak was in 1827

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Firebreak.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/firebreak. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

firebreak

noun
fire·​break -ˌbrāk How to pronounce firebreak (audio)
: a barrier of cleared or plowed land intended to stop the spread of a forest or grass fire

More from Merriam-Webster on firebreak

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!