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
As winners in 12 competitive categories and three special prizes took the stage, many addressed the fraught political climate in the U.S. as well as L.A. rebuilding after January’s devastating firestorms.
—Karla Marie Sanford, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Network media like The Washington Post and CBS News have found themselves at ground zero of Trump's firestorm, but on opposing sides.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
Ivermectin — the drug that ignited a firestorm of controversy during the coronavirus pandemic — is now available over the counter in some US states.
—Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2025
Sources close to the pair say they were disappointed by the half-hearted platitudes offered by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav amid the firestorm.
—Peter Kiefer, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firestorm
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Karla Marie Sanford, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2025
Network media like The Washington Post and CBS News have found themselves at ground zero of Trump's firestorm, but on opposing sides.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Apr. 2025
Ivermectin — the drug that ignited a firestorm of controversy during the coronavirus pandemic — is now available over the counter in some US states.
—Daniel Wine, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2025
Sources close to the pair say they were disappointed by the half-hearted platitudes offered by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav amid the firestorm.
—Peter Kiefer, HollywoodReporter, 22 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firestorm
Cite this Entry
“Firestorm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/firestorm. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.
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