FIRING (UP) Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

firing (up)

verb

Definition of firing (up)

present participle of fire (up)

as in provoking

to rouse to strong feeling or action the dynamic speaker fired up the audience as no one had previously done

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for firing (up)

Verb

The best of these films are simultaneously suspenseful, thought-provoking and dazzling.

— David Faris, TheWeek, 27 Oct. 2026
In 2012 American entrepreneur Russ George spread roughly 100 tons of iron in the North Pacific, provoking international criticism that a commercial venture had begun geoengineering without adequate oversight.

— Alec Luhn, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of provoking

Verb

Now is the time to do your candidate research, make your voting plan and make a difference by encouraging others to do the same.

— Ashley Hartman, Chicago Tribune, 13 Nov. 2026
The group is an offshoot of Leading the Future, a pro-AI super political action committee network that supports policies aimed at encouraging the development of artificial intelligence.

— Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Nov. 2026

Definition of encouraging

Verb

Coffee is known to have bowel-stimulating effects that may help those who need a little help getting their bowels moving after breakfast.

— Jillian Kubala, HEALTH, 10 Nov. 2026
This potentially removes the need to add a separate immune-stimulating ingredient to the vaccine.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 31 Oct. 2026

Definition of stimulating

Verb

Cover, turn the heat down to low, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring every few minutes.

— ABC News, ABC News, 10 Nov. 2026
ToruńCAMERIMAGE 2026 is taking a pluralistic approach to the subject by giving AI advocates and opponents equal time, and the programming appears more interested in stirring the pot and sparking discussion than taking a firm position.

— Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 9 Nov. 2026

Definition of stirring

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

firing squads

firing (up)

firkin

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Firing (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/firing%20%28up%29. Accessed 15 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of firing (up)

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

lissome

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

31 Useful Rhetorical Devices

More Commonly Misspelled Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Longest Long Words List

The Words of the Week - Nov. 13

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes