1
as in inferno
a destructive burning the historic tavern burned to the ground in a horrible conflagration

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2
as in hostilities
a state of armed violent struggle between states, nations, or groups what began as a skirmish over disputed territory erupted into a conflagration that swept the continent

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Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of conflagration Land clearing and logging slash fed serial conflagrations, which blew up in the late 19th and early 20th centuries—the waning decades of the Little Ice Age. Stephen Pyne, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Jan. 2025 Starting a war with Iran—and potentially setting off regional conflagration—would suck a tremendous amount of resources away from that effort. Raja Krishnamoorthi, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Apr. 2025 As a result of regulations prompted by the Lakeview fire, along with several other conflagrations, building materials are now fire-resistant, and most schools are equipped with smoke alarms, sprinklers, and extinguishers. Rascal Kemble-Curry, New York Daily News, 22 Mar. 2025 What begins as wildfire becomes an urban conflagration, with homes serving as the main fuel. Evan Bush, NBC News, 19 Jan. 2025 See All Example Sentences for conflagration
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conflagration
Noun
  • The documentary captures a sheriff’s deputy reminiscing about her car slowing in the middle of an inferno as her tires melted.
    Rebecca Ellis, Los Angeles Times, 25 Apr. 2025
  • In between those stretches, Minnesota was a blazing inferno, hitting 20 of 35 attempts from beyond the arc to blitz the Lakers in Game 1.
    Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 20 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • These meetings initially took place virtually and then in person across different capitals, seeking a cessation of hostilities and the establishment of humanitarian corridors.
    Daniel R. Depetris, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 Apr. 2025
  • But Putin had other ideas, tying a halt in hostilities to the West readmitting certain Russian banks into the West’s financial network.
    Daniel DePetris, Chicago Tribune, 8 Apr. 2025
Noun
  • The two-story, single-family homes were lit on fire and sustained structural damage, according to the Fire Department.
    Alexandra Koch, FOXNews.com, 4 May 2025
  • As fans saw in the first movie, Faith and Hope rebelliously set their house on fire to kill their abusive father and run away.
    Caroline Blair, People.com, 3 May 2025
Noun
  • But his rebuke of Trump's policies answered one of Wall Street's biggest questions of this weekend: Would Buffett weigh in on the trade war and its massive disruptions?
    Maria Aspan, NPR, 3 May 2025
  • Trial judge rejected arguments about war service At the time of Hutchinson's trial, psychiatrist William Baumzweiger found that Hutchinson's form of mental illness could result in unconscious fits of rage, the Tampa Bay Times reported.
    James Powel, USA Today, 3 May 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Conflagration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conflagration. Accessed 9 May. 2025.

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