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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in to sack
to let go from office, service, or employment
fired the secretary for incompetence
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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
as in to provoke
to rouse to strong feeling or action
the dynamic speaker fired up the audience as no one had previously done
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fire
Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
As the case heads before the state's highest court, residents are asking whether people exposed during the fire can receive medical monitoring designed to catch potential health problems early.
—Jamal Goss, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2026
Arriving officers began canvassing the area, looking for any signs that shots had been fired.
—Kansas City Star, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fire
Noun
Michael’s deal with Pepsi is part of that, and the film’s portrayal of the horrifying accident that befell him during the filming of a Pepsi commercial — a spark set his hair, and scalp, on fire — makes the trauma feel like an outgrowth of Joe’s karma.
—Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 21 Apr. 2026
As the case heads before the state's highest court, residents are asking whether people exposed during the fire can receive medical monitoring designed to catch potential health problems early.
—Jamal Goss, CBS News, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
About 1,000 animal welfare activists attempted to enter a beagle research facility in Wisconsin on Saturday, prompting law enforcement to fire rubber bullets and pepper spray into the crowd and arrest multiple people, including the group’s leader.
—Hanna Wickes, Miami Herald, 20 Apr. 2026
Arriving officers began canvassing the area, looking for any signs that shots had been fired.
—Kansas City Star, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for fire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fire
Noun
-
Video of firefighters fighting the inferno shows massive flames shooting out of the top windows onto the roof’s parapet.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The Sheriff’s Office had recused itself from the investigation days after the inferno.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Once again, the Nuggets failed to match the Timberwolves’ intensity.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
24 Apr. 2026
-
What’s flipped from the first six quarters of the series to the last six is McDaniels’ defensive intensity.—
Jace Frederick,
Twin Cities,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Arrested during a heat wave The ordeal James went through occurred amid a 100-plus-degree heat wave.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
21 Apr. 2026
-
What should have been a 30-minute, easy-breezy appointment turned into a two-hour ordeal.—
Catherine Santino,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
At the same time, enthusiasm around artificial intelligence continues to provide a powerful tailwind for equities, particularly in technology-heavy markets.—
Lee Ying Shan,
CNBC,
21 Apr. 2026
-
Everyone has different levels of enthusiasm and different conversational needs.—
Eric Thomas,
Sun Sentinel,
21 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Carriers that won’t sail past Iranian drones are certainly not going to run the gauntlet of the People’s Liberation Army.—
Eyck Freymann,
Time,
17 Apr. 2026
-
And the Celtics could see a gauntlet of All-Star-level bigs in the coming weeks.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
15 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Where Wiseman locates emotion is in the use of the camera, the shifts in filmmaking style, especially as the movie, for a brief moment, flips to color.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
24 Apr. 2026
-
Dark gray gallery walls highlight the emotions in each of the roughly 40 paintings in the exhibition centered on Caravaggio and works by artists inspired by him.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Romond grew up riding horses and ran cross country and track for her high school team in Colchester, Vt.—
Lori Riley,
Hartford Courant,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Trinity Rodman whipped in a cross that found Leicy Santos, who guided it home.—
Asli Pelit,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Page noted that all eyes will be on the 77-year-old monarch and whether Charles can bring a sense of warmth and steady diplomacy during a period of turbulence.—
Stephanie Nolasco , Ashley Papa,
FOXNews.com,
22 Apr. 2026
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The 800 RealFleece Classic Pile fleece, meanwhile, was introduced to deliver warmth and comfort while cutting reliance on petrochemical fibers.—
Alexandra Harrell,
Footwear News,
22 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fire. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.
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