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
Their affair, unfolding in the shadows of Jim Crow America, sparks a firestorm.
—Zac Ntim, Deadline, 29 May 2025
The case has become a political firestorm in part because there is video footage of the relevant events, but much of it is chaotic or inconclusive.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 21 May 2025
Body-camera footage of the beating sparked a firestorm of criticism over the violence and brutality some inmates experience at the hands of corrections officers.
—Mark Morales, CNN Money, 5 May 2025
And when there’s smoke, especially from an urban firestorm like this was, there’s going to be all sorts of toxic compounds in there, from burning plastics, from burning cars, burning houses.
—Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for firestorm
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.
Zac Ntim, Deadline, 29 May 2025
The case has become a political firestorm in part because there is video footage of the relevant events, but much of it is chaotic or inconclusive.
—Niall Stanage, The Hill, 21 May 2025
Body-camera footage of the beating sparked a firestorm of criticism over the violence and brutality some inmates experience at the hands of corrections officers.
—Mark Morales, CNN Money, 5 May 2025
And when there’s smoke, especially from an urban firestorm like this was, there’s going to be all sorts of toxic compounds in there, from burning plastics, from burning cars, burning houses.
—Ari Daniel, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 May 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 9 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share