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
Rey Covarrubias Jr, AZCentral.com, 26 July 2025
The fire agency noted that the tragedy is the fourth deadly fire this week involving a smoke alarm that was not working properly.
—Charmaine Patterson, People.com, 26 July 2025
Dave Boucher, Freep.com, 14 July 2025
Apparently, Señor Musk is now working for the government and firing a lot of people from their jobs—and really enjoying it.
—Larry David, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for fire
Noun
Aircraft were ready for an increase in fire activity, especially on the canyon edges, where the fire could spread into grass and sagebrush at lower elevations, according to the management team.
—Rey Covarrubias Jr, AZCentral.com, 26 July 2025
The fire agency noted that the tragedy is the fourth deadly fire this week involving a smoke alarm that was not working properly.
—Charmaine Patterson, People.com, 26 July 2025
Verb
Still, a few days later, she got fired, Dwyer said in her memo.
—Dave Boucher, Freep.com, 14 July 2025
Apparently, Señor Musk is now working for the government and firing a lot of people from their jobs—and really enjoying it.
—Larry David, New Yorker, 14 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for fire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fire
Noun
-
Just like the companies who sparked a blaze, the fossil fuel industry bears responsibility for contributing to the soaring high temperatures and drier atmosphere that turn a routine forest fire into a blazing inferno.—
Chris Lee,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 July 2025
-
The issue was brought to his attention by reporting from The Bee and other news outlets highlighting a stark difference between state and federal law concerning who can be licensed to work with high-grade explosives like those that sparked an inferno in Esparto on July 1.—
Daniel Lempres,
Sacbee.com,
17 July 2025
Noun
-
That seemed reasonable: the intensity of the grief was enveloping, a veil of sorrow that van Wessel, a father to twins himself, was loath to make worse with his own presence.—
Joshua Yaffa,
New Yorker,
2 Aug. 2025
-
Kyiv is increasing the intensity of its drone attacks into Russia.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
1 Aug. 2025
Noun
-
Although prosecutors dropped all criminal trespassing charges, students say the ordeal left them traumatized, diminished their work ethic and deteriorated their mental health.—
Lily Kepner,
Austin American Statesman,
30 July 2025
-
What began as a lighthearted moment among friends turned into a months-long ordeal for Deborah Cobb of Seattle, when cartwheels on the beach left her unable to see.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
26 July 2025
Verb
-
The electrodes could not only stimulate the brain but also record brain signals, specifically local field potentials (LFPs), which are brain waves linked to neuron activity.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
3 Aug. 2025
-
Lower interest rates also have an immediate positive impact on consumers who have variable rate mortgages because their payments will go down, which boosts their disposable income and can help stimulate consumer spending.—
Rohit Arora,
Forbes.com,
31 July 2025
Verb
-
Jaylen Wright fumbled on a hit from safety John Saunders Jr.... Grayson Murphy sacked Wilson, who nevertheless threw the ball to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine for a 30 yard TD pass...—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
2 Aug. 2025
-
Outside of a fumble on the opening kick return, Stuard was active, near the ball and showed great closing speed when sacking Lance in the first half.—
Colton Pouncy,
New York Times,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
His brother, Eugene Howard, threw him into a small pool of water, thereby probably saving his life.—
Michael Barnes,
Austin American Statesman,
29 July 2025
-
Bivens worked as the bulk guy in a bullpen game, throwing three innings, but Mauricio’s double ended his day.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
28 July 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
-
The youth event in Rome – part of the Catholic Church’s jubilee celebrations – saw Leo both embrace the young people’s enthusiasm but ensure moments of quiet contemplation.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
3 Aug. 2025
-
But once their initial enthusiasm dissipated, they were slightly perplexed by the offer.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
3 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Fire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fire. Accessed 7 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share