1
as in inferno
a destructive burning
a number of suspicious fires in the neighborhood recently
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in intensity
depth of feeling
had she the fire in her heart that a run for the White House requires?
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in ordeal
a test of faith, patience, or strength
asked to be sent to the front lines, as he was eager to prove himself in the fire of battle
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
2
3
as in to stimulate
to give life, vigor, or spirit to
a school outing to the natural history museum fired his imagination, and he grew up to become an eminent paleontologist
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to sack
to let go from office, service, or employment
fired the secretary for incompetence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in to throw
to send through the air especially with a quick forward motion of the arm
fired a pass to the running back
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in to burn
to set (something) on fire
lit some kindling before attempting to fire the logs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Stephanie Kuzydym, The Courier-Journal, 27 July 2025
Colbert's isn't the only talk show that has come under fire from the political sphere.
—EW.com, 26 July 2025
David Brennan, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2025
Last month, President Donald Trump fired the opening salvo of the 2026 midterms by calling on Texas lawmakers to redraw that state’s electoral maps to further advantage Republicans and help keep Republicans in the House.
—Daniel Brennan, Baltimore Sun, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fire
Noun
Based on employee interviews, investigators also found conflicting accounts of fire preparedness within the plant, which has already experienced some fires.
—Stephanie Kuzydym, The Courier-Journal, 27 July 2025
Colbert's isn't the only talk show that has come under fire from the political sphere.
—EW.com, 26 July 2025
Verb
In July, Russia set a new monthly record for long-range attacks on Ukraine, per data from the Ukrainian air force, firing 6,443 drones and missiles into the country.
—David Brennan, ABC News, 6 Aug. 2025
Last month, President Donald Trump fired the opening salvo of the 2026 midterms by calling on Texas lawmakers to redraw that state’s electoral maps to further advantage Republicans and help keep Republicans in the House.
—Daniel Brennan, Baltimore Sun, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for fire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fire
Noun
-
Taylor Swift poured tanks of gasoline on social media, struck a match and lit the internet in an inferno of excitement.—
Bryan West,
The Tennessean,
13 Aug. 2025
-
It is not yet known whether the person died in the inferno or drowned.—
Escher Walcott,
People.com,
20 July 2025
Noun
-
La Costa’s group fitness classes span everything from yoga, spin, and Pilates to power boxing, high intensity interval training, and cardiovascular boot camp.—
Joe Yogerst,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Cuomo would also have to demonstrate to the public how detrimental a Mamdani win would be to New York City and the Democratic Party, and deliver a higher level of intensity and passion in his messaging.—
Tom Rogers,
MSNBC Newsweek,
15 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
What seemed to be several employees were recorded anxiously monitoring the ordeal.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
8 Aug. 2025
-
Barnea worried that some of Israel’s best soldiers and spies would be killed or taken hostage, a nightmare for Israelis already deeply pained by the ordeal of Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza since the attack of Oct. 7, 2023.—
Yossi Melman,
ProPublica,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Typically, a sluggish economy leads to low inflation, allowing the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates to stimulate more borrowing and activity.—
Paul Davidson,
USA Today,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Deadheading helps prevent the formation of seeds and stimulates additional flowering.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Wilson led the Dolphins to touchdowns on both his drives after replacing Tagovailoa for the second series of a 24-24 tie with Chicago last week, and he was sacked four times.—
Jack Magruder,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
-
He certainly will not be sacked, as Emery essentially runs all things football at Villa now.—
Jacob Tanswell,
New York Times,
15 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The girl was thrown from the SUV that rolled but was able, on her own power, to make her way back to the vehicle to check on the woman, the sheriff's office said.—
Drake Bentley,
jsonline.com,
7 Aug. 2025
-
This just isn’t the year to keep throwing money at bad systems.—
Tim Pratte,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
The pair, who met as college undergrads, both burned with idealism and recognized their privilege could be leveraged for a game-changing idea.—
Carole Horst,
Variety,
13 Sep. 2023
-
The Ellen MacArthur Foundation promotes circular fashion and says that, in the United States, an amount of clothing equal to a garbage truck is ferried to landfills or burned every second.—
Neeti Mehra,
Treehugger,
13 Sep. 2023
Noun
-
Institutional enthusiasm for digital assets is rising, and the U.S. regulatory climate has grown friendlier, even as the economics of mining face more pressure from bitcoin’s quadrennial halving.—
Becca Bratcher,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
-
Time will tell whether ASI’s enthusiasm was ultimately strategic or premature.—
Ruxandra Iordache,
CNBC,
15 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fire. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share