fire (up)

verb

Definition of fire (up)next
as in to provoke
to rouse to strong feeling or action the dynamic speaker fired up the audience as no one had previously done

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fire (up)
  1. provoke
  2. encourage
  3. stimulate
Verb
  • Election gamble The strike follows weeks of demonstrations and encampments provoked by the eviction and subsequent death of an 87-year-old woman in Madrid.
    — Reuters, NBC news, 11 Nov. 2026
  • Retinoids, retinol and benzoyl peroxide raise sensitivity, and stacking additional exfoliation over them can intensify flaking or provoke new blemishes.
    — Hanna Wickes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of provoke
Verb
  • Its Flex Events initiative uses customer communications to encourage temporary reductions in electricity consumption.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 12 Nov. 2026
  • The Sagittarius Moon encourages a wider view of daily responsibilities.
    — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 11 Nov. 2026
Definition of encourage
Verb
  • However, understanding how brain activity differs between healthy aging and neurodegeneration could help researchers test future treatments, including techniques that stimulate the brain without surgery.
    — Khloe Quill, FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2026
  • Electrodes closer to the forehead stimulate a brain region called the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex, associated with mood regulation (for example, calming anxiety).
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of stimulate
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.

Browse Nearby Words

fires (up)
fire (up)
firewater
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Cite this Entry

“Fire (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fire%20%28up%29. Accessed 14 Nov. 2026.

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