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
  • However, his light-hearted approach provokes the hostility of the church.
    — Leo Barraclough, Variety, 17 July 2026
  • Fear provoked his legendary rages—breaking chairs, throwing things, cutting people out of his life.
    — Hilton Als, New Yorker, 17 July 2026
Definition of provoke
Verb
  • The fish were illegally introduced in the 1970s, so the agency encourages anglers to pursue the game fish and keep their catches.
    — Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 23 July 2026
  • The tradition, known as lördagsgodis, began in the 1950s by Swedish health officials to encourage limiting candy-eating to once a week and prevent cavities.
    — Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 July 2026
Definition of encourage
Verb
  • The unity shown in Ankara will only stimulate additional doubts over Moscow’s capacity to end the conflict favorably.
    — Ihor N. Stelmach, Hartford Courant, 19 July 2026
  • The hormone stimulates insulin secretion, suppresses glucagon—preventing the hormone from causing the liver to release too much sugar into the bloodstream —and slows gastric emptying.
    — Liz Seegert, Scientific American, 19 July 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 24 Jul. 2026.

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