firestorm

noun

ˈfī(-ə)r-ˌstȯrm How to pronounce firestorm (audio)
Definition of firestormnext
as in controversy
variance of opinion on a matter a seemingly endless firestorm was ignited by that U.S. Supreme Court decision

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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 firestorm The physical play set off a little bit of a firestorm, and neither side was very complimentary of the other following the result. — Joe Murphy, NBC news, 9 July 2026 The aforementioned Heathers firestorm was years in the making. — Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 8 July 2026 Selecting a replacement for Platner has become a firestorm within the party. — Oren Oppenheim, ABC News, 7 July 2026 Major League Baseball then issued a warning, setting off a firestorm of controversy, criticism and a referral for an investigation from the United States Department of Justice Civil Rights Division. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 2 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for firestorm
Recent Examples of Synonyms for firestorm
  1. controversy
  2. debate
  3. dispute
  4. disputation
  5. disagreement
Noun
  • Opera Carolina has another new leader heading into its 77th season, as one of the oldest arts groups in Charlotte attempts to stabilize itself following two years of executive turnover and internal controversy.
    — Catherine Muccigrosso July 24, Charlotte Observer, 24 July 2026
  • For the institution, the calculation is whether keeping the remote possibility of reinstatement alive is worth keeping the controversy alive as well.
    — Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 23 July 2026
Definition of controversy
Noun
  • What exactly triggers these blooms is still an active area of research and debate, according to Brad Taylor, associate professor at North Carolina State University and investigator at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory.
    — Hannah Smith July 25, Idaho Statesman, 25 July 2026
  • In the meantime, the deadly encounter has reignited a contentious debate about body cameras, one that has long vexed local officials and pitted some of the city’s progressive groups against each other.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 July 2026
Definition of debate
Noun
  • Former Defense Secretary John Healey, who resigned last month over a military spending dispute, was appointed as the UK’s new finance minister, known as Chancellor of the Exchequer.
    — Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 20 July 2026
  • Authorities had not said how many weapons were fired or publicly detailed what started the dispute.
    — Eric Mack, FOXNews.com, 20 July 2026
Definition of dispute
Noun
  • This did not, however, mark the end of disputation concerning the Northwest Angle.
    — Scott Spires, Encyclopedia Britannica, 19 Mar. 2026
  • According to him, advances in machine learning have yanked questions once trapped inside theological/philosophical disputations into corporate board packs.
    — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 15 Aug. 2025
Definition of disputation
Noun
  • Over the past six months, Fedorov and Syrsky frequently took their complaints about each other to the arbiter in their disagreements, President Volodymyr Zelensky.
    — Simon Shuster, The Atlantic, 24 July 2026
  • If there is any disagreement between law enforcement and the board, the Director of Police Accountability can choose to appeal the decision to the city manager, who has the final say, according to city policy.
    — Chase Hunter, Mercury News, 24 July 2026
Definition of disagreement

Browse Nearby Words

firesides
firestorm
firestorms
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Cite this Entry

“Firestorm.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/firestorm. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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