Synonyms of fires

fires 1 of 2

noun

plural of fire

1

as in infernos

a destructive burning

a number of suspicious fires in the neighborhood recently

Synonyms & Similar Words

• infernos
• wildfires
• conflagrations
• blazes
• bonfires
• holocausts
• campfires
• forest fires
• backfires
• brush fires
• arsons
• flare-ups

2

as in ordeals

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

• ordeals
• gauntlets
• trials
• crucibles
• crosses
• baptisms of fire
• tragedies
• misfortunes
• baptisms
• mishaps
• initiations
• woes
• tribulations
• grievances
• troubles
• challenges
• misadventures
• mischances
• privations
• hardships
• griefs
• adversities
• vicissitudes
• acid tests
• asperities
• complications
• afflictions
• rigors
• inconveniences
• difficulties
• litmus tests
• nuisances
• discomforts
• annoyances

fires

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of fire

1

as in shoots

to cause (a projectile) to be driven forward with force

police officers firing rubber bullets

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shoots
• launches
• throws
• blasts
• discharges
• hurls
• looses
• projects
• squeezes off
• flings
• catapults
• casts
• tosses
• blazes (at)
• lobs
• slings
• heaves
• hurtles
• pelts
• snipes (at)
• pitches

2

as in blasts

to cause a weapon to release a missile with great force

soldiers fired at the enemy in panic-stricken disorder

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shoots
• blasts
• blazes
• discharges
• peppers
• snipes
• plinks
• potshots

3

as in stimulates

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

• stimulates
• stirs
• arouses
• animates
• provokes
• sparks
• activates
• spikes
• triggers
• awakens
• energizes
• cheers
• drives
• inspires
• electrifies
• vivifies
• excites
• lifts
• enlivens
• invigorates
• quickens
• vitalizes
• zips (up)
• revives
• braces
• raises
• motives
• motivates
• awakes
• recreates
• rouses
• jump-starts
• rallies
• propels
• amps (up)
• livens (up)
• charges
• moves
• strengthens
• fillips
• peps (up)
• boosts
• jazzes (up)
• gingers (up)
• kindles
• resurrects
• juices up
• refreshes
• wakes (up)
• galvanizes
• incites
• inflames
• actuates
• impels
• renews
• sets off
• ferments
• foments
• buoys
• instigates
• enkindles
• rekindles
• regenerates
• turns on
• infuses
• heartens
• reactivates
• whips (up)
• reawakens
• emboldens
• steels
• recharges
• fortifies
• abets
• resuscitates
• reanimates
• reinvigorates
• revitalizes
• rejuvenates
• reenergizes
• refreshens
• restimulates
• reawakes

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• kills
• damps
• dampens
• wears
• drains
• deadens
• exhausts
• dulls
• burns out
• undermines
• weakens
• knocks out
• wears out
• saps
• harasses
• slows
• checks
• fatigues
• wearies
• washes out
• debilitates
• enfeebles
• curbs
• does in
• inhibits
• enervates
• suppresses
• restrains
• fags
• quenches
• stunts
• quells
• represses
• stills
• discourages
• kayoes
• demoralizes
• tuckers (out)
• daunts
• disheartens
• jades
• dispirits

4

as in sacks

to let go from office, service, or employment

fired the secretary for incompetence

Synonyms & Similar Words

• sacks
• dismisses
• removes
• retires
• releases
• discharges
• axes
• cans
• terminates
• bounces
• turns off
• pink-slips
• excesses
• shows (someone) the door
• musters out
• sends packing
• downsizes
• lays off
• cashiers
• boots (out)
• kicks out
• furloughs
• trims
• separates
• drums (out)
• unseats
• chucks (out)
• throws out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• employs
• retains
• hires
• engages
• keeps
• signs (up or on)
• takes on
• contracts
• rehires
• recruits
• reemploys
• subcontracts

5

as in throws

to send through the air especially with a quick forward motion of the arm

fired a pass to the running back

Synonyms & Similar Words

• throws
• hurls
• tosses
• flings
• launches
• bowls
• casts
• slings
• guns
• catapults
• heaves
• darts
• lobs
• pegs
• hurtles
• pitches
• dashes
• lofts
• flips
• chucks
• rifles
• lets fly
• pelts
• shoots
• thrusts
• rolls
• precipitates
• ejects
• passes
• projects
• propels
• hooks
• impels
• bucks

6

as in burns

to set (something) on fire

lit some kindling before attempting to fire the logs

Synonyms & Similar Words

• burns
• ignites
• scorches
• lights
• torches
• kindles
• inflames
• enkindles
• bakes
• illumines
• illuminates
• immolates
• cooks
• ashes
• incinerates
• broils
• kilns
• chars
• sets off
• stokes
• deflagrates
• relights
• rekindles
• brightens
• sears
• lightens
• cremates
• reignites
• frizzles
• irradiates
• radiates
• banks
• scalds
• scathes

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• extinguishes
• quenches
• puts out
• chokes
• smothers
• stamps (out)
• suffocates
• douses
• snuffs (out)
• obscures
• dims
• darkens
• blackens
• dulls

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of fires

Noun

Research shows warming temperatures from burning coal, oil and gas are making fires more frequent and intense. — ABC News, 15 July 2026

Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches. — Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 15 July 2026

The fires in Minnesota are unusual for this time of year, which is generally a wet period—fire season typically comes in spring or fall. — Andrea Thompson, Scientific American, 14 July 2026

Cal Fire investigators determined both fires were arson and arrested Vasquez less than six weeks later. — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 July 2026

The 97 homes Plant Prefab currently has under contract may be only a tiny fraction of upward of 12,000 destroyed in the Eaton and Palisades fires. — Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026

By the time an alert fires, an agent may have already acted on the affected data. — Jay Limburn, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026

Rather than overwhelming targets with sheer volume, HIMARS focuses on delivering accurate fires while quickly relocating to avoid counterbattery attacks. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 7 July 2026

Racial tensions were at a boiling point, and the police raid of an after-hours nightclub sparked the flame that led to looting, the destruction of nearly 1,400 buildings, multiple fires and 43 deaths as well as 342 injuries. — USA Today, 7 July 2026

Verb

Getting to know Luke and his journey and his story, having Tommy John and going out and raking in college this year, all that fires me up. — Gary Phillips, New York Daily News, 12 July 2026

Kelce played a bully of a restaurant manager who fires a busboy (played by Bad Bunny). — Amaris Encinas, USA Today, 8 July 2026

Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force submarine fires a torpedo at the decommissioned USS Juneau in support of a live-fire sinking exercise (SINKEX) as part of Valiant Shield 2026 while underway in the Philippine Sea, June 27, 2026. — Peter Suciu, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026

The playlist that fires you up for routine tasks is likely to interfere with more demanding work. — Bridget K. Daleiden, The Conversation, 29 June 2026

João Cancelo fires a low cross from the right, but a big Vargas paw keeps out Bruno Fernandes's close-range effot. — Nbc News, NBC news, 28 June 2026

Knoxville, who was writing an article that led him to test self-defense equipment by using various weapons on himself, fires a revolver at his own chest from point-blank range while wearing a bulletproof vest. — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 26 June 2026

As there’s only one bullet in the pistol, empty chambers click multiple times before the bullet finally fires. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 26 June 2026

Anyone who vandalizes government property, fires guns around an ICE facility, or attacks a police officer can and should be charged with crimes. — David A. Graham, The Atlantic, 25 June 2026