fire 1 of 2

1
as in inferno
a destructive burning a number of suspicious fires in the neighborhood recently

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fire

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to shoot
to cause (a projectile) to be driven forward with force police officers firing rubber bullets

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2
as in to blast
to cause a weapon to release a missile with great force soldiers fired at the enemy in panic-stricken disorder

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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 fire
Noun
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), between 2018 and 2022, an average of 835 home fires started with decorations, with a third traced back to candles. Amanda Greenwood, MSNBC Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2025 Forty years of metal, forged in steel, ending in fire. Mackenzie Cummings-Grady, Billboard, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
The former San Diego Association of Governments accounting official who was fired after exposing errors in the state Route 125 toll-collection system has been awarded millions of dollars as a result of her treatment. Jeff McDonald, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Nov. 2025 Cheney fired and struck Whittington in the face, neck and torso. Virginia Chamlee, PEOPLE, 4 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for fire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fire
Noun
  • Spoelstra was remarkably upbeat before the game, offering gratitude for the outpouring of support from the NBA community and expressing relief that nobody was injured in the inferno.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 8 Nov. 2025
  • After it was revealed that Vince didn't make it out of the inferno, his son Bode (Max Thieriot) and wife Sharon (Diane Farr) were devastated by the loss.
    Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 7 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Their weakness is an inability to maintain a consistent intensity throughout an entire game.
    Andy Jones, New York Times, 9 Nov. 2025
  • The country’s meteorological agency PAGASA upgraded the storm to a super typhoon on its intensity scale, recording maximum wind speeds of 185 kph (115 mph) and gusts of 230 kph (143 mph).
    Laura Sharman, CNN Money, 8 Nov. 2025
Noun
  • Ultimately, the hotel did not profit from the ordeal after compensation was eventually given to those affected, investigators found.
    Ryan Cormier, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
  • Fatal Attraction — about a married man (Michael Douglas) whose one-night affair with a woman (Close) turns into a dangerous ordeal — earned six Oscar nominations upon its initial release, including one for Close's performance and another for Best Picture.
    Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 6 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Fort Worth officers were called to John Peter Smith Hospital regarding a shooting victim who’d arrived for treatment.
    Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 9 Nov. 2025
  • Fears shot 0 of 7 from the field, scoring four points on six free-throw attempts, but tallied nine assists.
    Matt Byrne, Arkansas Online, 9 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • House Congressional leaders also blasted the deal.
    David Lightman, Sacbee.com, 10 Nov. 2025
  • Trump’s second term calls for an approach as overwhelming as the noise blasting from the White House every day.
    Erik Adams, The Atlantic, 9 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • Cold showers stimulate the vagus nerve, reduce inflammation, and activate parts of the brain that can calm the body after long exposure.
    Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 9 Nov. 2025
  • The implication was that there could be an easily accessible, off-the-shelf shot capable of stimulating the immune system to fight cancer.
    Lisa Jarvis, Twin Cities, 8 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • On the field, his seven tackles, sack and pass breakup helped tilt the game in the Chargers’ favour; off the field, his tribute to his brother showed the depth of his character.
    Preezy Brown, VIBE.com, 5 Nov. 2025
  • In the box score, Brissett was 21-of-31 for 261 yards with two touchdown passes despite getting sacked five times by the Cowboys.
    Scott Thompson, FOXNews.com, 4 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • His rule finally came to an end in 1998 after the Asian financial crisis threw the country into economic turmoil, prompting widespread protests and forcing Suharto to resign – one of the last people power movements to sweep Southeast Asia and replace a Cold War-era autocrat with democracy.
    Jessie Yeung, CNN Money, 11 Nov. 2025
  • Then Heat forward Nikola Jovic threw the perfect inbounds pass to find Wiggins for the game-winning alley-oop dunk at the final buzzer.
    Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 11 Nov. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fire. Accessed 21 Nov. 2025.

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