fire 1 of 3

1
as in inferno
a destructive burning a number of suspicious fires in the neighborhood recently

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fire

2 of 3

verb (1)

1
as in to shoot
to cause (a projectile) to be driven forward with force police officers firing rubber bullets

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2
as in to blast
to cause a weapon to release a missile with great force soldiers fired at the enemy in panic-stricken disorder

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fire (up)

3 of 3

verb (2)

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
Noun
The Journal Sentinel obtained the last fire inspection report for the property at 4451 S. Whitnall Ave. dated Aug. 20, 2024. Erik S. Hanley, jsonline.com, 19 Aug. 2025 Last year, six people died in lithium-ion battery fires citywide, FDNY officials said. Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2025
Verb
Newton was hired in March after the commission voted to fire Downs in a seemingly sudden move. Nora O'Neill, Charlotte Observer, 20 Aug. 2025 Finally, there were several unsportsmanlike penalties last year against players who celebrated a play by pretending to fire a gun. Stewart Mandel, New York Times, 20 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
  • 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
  • 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
Noun
  • Contrast that with today’s college move-in days, which involve whole families helping the college student—and so much stuff U-Haul has an entire section of its website devoted to the ordeal… er, experience.
    Catherine Salfino, Sourcing Journal, 22 Aug. 2025
  • In the interview, Dunst shared that the medical ordeal took place while Plemons, 37, and their children were staying with her in the Hungarian capital.
    Jay Stahl, USA Today, 22 Aug. 2025
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
  • The market has been buoyed by a strong corporate earnings season and undeterred investor enthusiasm about AI.
    John Towfighi, CNN Money, 15 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Along the way, Beijing has reiterated its plans to land its cosmonauts on the Moon before 2030 for scientific exploration — squarely throwing the gauntlet Stateside, where NASA’s Artemis program also scheduled a mission to return U.S. astronauts on lunar ground around 2027.
    Ruxandra Iordache, CNBC, 22 Aug. 2025
  • Players will know when to activate the ability when the gauntlet flashes blue.
    Gieson Cacho, Mercury News, 21 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • If conflicts are neatly resolved or avoided altogether, if every emotion is met with perfect affirmation, children may lose the opportunity to practice one of the most important developmental skills: learning to connect with people who are not programmed to go along with them.
    Marc Fernandez, IEEE Spectrum, 21 Aug. 2025
  • This con was designed to bypass human logic and hijack human emotion.
    Michael Cannivet, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Shark Robot Vacuum and Mop Among the pack, this Shark invention stands out as a cross between a vacuum cleaner and a mop.
    Izzy Baskette, People.com, 10 Aug. 2025
  • Madigan's ghoulish persona appears to be a cross between a Golden Girl and Pennywise the clown, but is actually a witch.
    Brian Truitt, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2025
Noun
  • Skims’ heavyweight fleece fabrication is designed with warmth, durability and elevated comfort in mind, projecting into the forthcoming fall and winter seasons.
    Julia Teti, Footwear News, 19 Aug. 2025
  • The whole operation exudes good vibes; the sultry Recife sun is not the only source of warmth in the room.
    Jack Lang, New York Times, 19 Aug. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Fire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fire. Accessed 27 Aug. 2025.

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