fires (up)

verb

present tense third-person singular of fire (up)
as in encourages
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 fires (up)
  1. encourages
  2. provokes
  3. stimulates
Verb
  • The adolescent’s ability to use their phone to access social media and continuous news, interact with artificial intelligence and play games often broadens their perspectives and encourages individual creativity.
    — Elizabeth Dowdell, Fortune, 15 July 2026
  • The framework encourages avoiding tobacco, staying physically active, getting sufficient sleep and eating a nutritious diet built around fruits, vegetables, lean protein, nuts, seeds and healthy fats like olive oil.
    — Samantha Agate, Miami Herald, 14 July 2026
Definition of encourages
Verb
  • Another friend recounted the ins-and-outs of her 11-year-old’s baseball league, which provokes more political intrigue than a Hilary Mantel novel.
    — Mary Pauline Lowry, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026
  • His jealousy provokes an act of betrayal and cruelty.
    — Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 18 June 2026
Definition of provokes
Verb
  • The Chinese variant actually stimulates economic activity as corrupt officials sell the rights to monetize unproductive state assets to private enterprises.
    — Andy Browne, semafor.com, 14 July 2026
  • Ancient techniques include Kobido, a Japanese holistic massage that restores balance and stimulates the muscles through rhythmic tapping and fast hand movements across the face and neck.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 July 2026
Definition of stimulates
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

firestorms
fires (up)
fire (up)
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Cite this Entry

“Fires (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fires%20%28up%29. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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