bonfire

noun

Definition of bonfirenext
as in campfire
a large outdoor fire

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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 bonfire The bonfires are the centerpiece of the loyalist calendar, underlining an identity built on being British. — Kara Fox, CNN Money, 10 July 2026 The staff invited us to step off the train and sip champagne or hot chocolate around a blazing bonfire. — Justin Meneguzzi, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026 There is also plenty of pomp, along with bells, bonfires, and illuminations. — Sheldon Pearce, New Yorker, 3 July 2026 Shacks, of which there were nine along the peninsula, would compete to outdo each other, lighting bonfires on the beach, supplying endless kegs, and inviting live bands. — Curbed Editors, Curbed, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for bonfire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bonfire
  1. campfire
  2. wildfire
  3. forest fire
Noun
  • Later that night, at a circle-round-the-campfire discussion on the essence of Vibecamp, people will try to put their finger on the elusive magic of the scene.
    — Nick H. Penniman, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2026
  • Humans and animals also glow in infrared, and most of the energy released by a campfire is infrared radiation.
    — Vahe Peroomian, The Conversation, 13 July 2026
Definition of campfire
Noun
  • Military firefighters in Sierra Oeste, Spain battled to contain flames as a wildfire spread overnight.
    — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
  • This is expected to carry into the weekend and into next week, but there are a few interesting wrinkles to unpack amid what is leftover from Tropical Storm Elida and ongoing wildfires across northern California.
    — Sean Macaday, Sacbee.com, 24 July 2026
Definition of wildfire
Noun
  • Similarly, a major firefighting operation was underway in southwest Germany near the village of Traisen, where the heat sparked a forest fire in an area that also contained unexploded ordnance.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 June 2026
  • This Anglican example near Beaufort, South Carolina, was built in the 1740s, but was largely destroyed by a forest fire in 1886.
    — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 17 June 2026
Definition of forest fire

Browse Nearby Words

boneyards
bonfire
bonfires
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Cite this Entry

“Bonfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/bonfire. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on bonfire

Nglish: Translation of bonfire for Spanish Speakers

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