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 What Lanie Gardner Talks About On This Episode Growing up in tiny Burnsville, North Carolina, where bonfires, football, music, and hanging out in the McDonald’s parking lot were all part of small-town life. — Sid Evans, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2026 Beach towns are cool, but some destinations were simply made for cozy evenings by the bonfire, drinking cider, taking hayrides, attending harvest festivals, and driving through scenic fall foliage. — Dobrina Zhekova, Travel + Leisure, 15 Sep. 2026 For more fall fun, head to Ramsey’s Farm for hay rides, a pumpkin patch, and evening bonfires. — Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 10 Sep. 2026 When summer turned to winter in Little Moreau Park, folks gathered around the frozen lake in their vehicles and threw wooden pallets on the ice to make a bonfire. — Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for bonfire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for bonfire
  1. campfire
  2. wildfire
  3. forest fire
Noun
  • The crew decamped to Joshua Tree, jamming around a campfire and recording in a makeshift studio in their Airbnb.
    — Isabelle Farina, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Look for notes of black pepper, vanilla, citrus, and maple over an assertive, smoky base made up of flavors like iodine, seaweed, campfire, and licorice, and just a touch of heat on the finish at 46 percent ABV.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of campfire
Noun
  • Both scenarios would have devastating consequences—dramatically transforming sea levels and ecosystems, and triggering compounding climate extremes such as higher temperatures and drought, increasing the likelihood of wildfires.
    — Simmone Shah, Time, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Before the 2025 tourist season, local and state officials had an opportunity to safeguard Ruidoso and adapt to the realities of a warming climate that is exacerbating wildfires and flooding.
    — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 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 24 Oct. 2026.

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