1
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of conflagration
For now, with Iran’s regime backed into a shrinking corner, the potential for a destabilizing conflagration is real.
—
Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Resilience, too, is transmitted, as is a desire to preserve the love that wasn’t destroyed in the family conflagration.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
The Disciple, which premiered last night at Sundance, is designed first and foremost as a portrait of Cilvaringz, and doubles as a testament to both the lingua franca power of hip-hop and the ability of obsession to fuel four-alarm conflagrations of creative ambition.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Jan. 2026
In probably the most severe conflagration since the rise of the Islamic State amidst Syria’s brutal civil war, innocent and unarmed Iranians are being massacred by a ruthless regime under the darkness of a complete communications and internet blackout.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for conflagration
Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2026
Resilience, too, is transmitted, as is a desire to preserve the love that wasn’t destroyed in the family conflagration.
—Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 28 Jan. 2026
The Disciple, which premiered last night at Sundance, is designed first and foremost as a portrait of Cilvaringz, and doubles as a testament to both the lingua franca power of hip-hop and the ability of obsession to fuel four-alarm conflagrations of creative ambition.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Jan. 2026
In probably the most severe conflagration since the rise of the Islamic State amidst Syria’s brutal civil war, innocent and unarmed Iranians are being massacred by a ruthless regime under the darkness of a complete communications and internet blackout.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 20 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for conflagration
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conflagration
Noun
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More than 270 firefighters and EMS personnel responded to combat the inferno.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
11 Mar. 2026
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Police spokesperson Frederic Papaux of Fribourg canton, or region, said the inferno broke out Tuesday evening on a bus in the town of Kerzers, about 15 miles west of Bern, the Swiss capital.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Aluminum hit the highest in almost four years before erasing gains, as escalating hostilities in the Middle East worsened the supply outlook from the region, while copper and other industrial metals fell on falling risk appetite.—
Bloomberg News,
Bloomberg,
9 Mar. 2026
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Moscow is profiting from a spike in oil prices, and the Kremlin bets a windfall from prolonged hostilities could help boost its coffers to pay for military operations in Ukraine and plug a budget deficit, The Associated Press wrote.—
J.D. Capelouto,
semafor.com,
8 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Jacob Ulibarri spent about six hours on New Year’s Day last year squashing hot spots where the Lachman fire had burned.—
Alene Tchekmedyian,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
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Images from the site showed the charred shell of the bus after the fire was brought under control.—
Claire Carter,
The Washington Examiner,
11 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Both massive aircraft can act as the president’s emergency operations hub in times of national security threats, such as a nuclear war.—
Terry Castleman,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
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When the war in Gaza erupted, the Houthis fired ballistic missiles and drones at Israel, in solidarity with the Palestinians, and imposed their chokehold on Red Sea shipping lanes.—
Sudarsan Raghavan,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Conflagration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conflagration. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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