wildfire

noun

Definition of wildfirenext
as in blaze
a fire in a wild area (such as a forest) that is not controlled and that can burn a large area very quickly The recent wildfires were made worse by the strong winds.

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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 wildfire In 2025 alone, the Foundation impacted more than 15,000 people, supported 141 programs, served 700 Los Angeles wildfire survivors, and reached communities across 39 states. — Paul Grein, Billboard, 27 Oct. 2026 Extreme heat waves and wildfires have contributed to unhealthy levels of smog and smoke around the world so far in 2026, a recent global analysis of air quality trends found. — Erin Douglas, Washington Post, 26 Oct. 2026 The coronavirus pandemic, major labor strikes in the entertainment and media industry, mega mergers like Skydance, and the 2025 wildfires have played a major role in these declines. — Chaseedaw Giles, IndieWire, 26 Oct. 2026 But not long after filming ended, around the time of the 2025 wildfires, the couple divorced. — Ava Kofman, New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wildfire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wildfire
  1. blaze
  2. inferno
  3. forest fire
  4. campfire
  5. bonfire
Noun
  • The blaze broke out in the kitchen of a ground-level apartment.
    — Ashley Paul, CBS News, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Rain that turned into the season’s first significant snow, accompanied by strong wind, complicated the already difficult task of tackling the blaze, and firefighters had to pull out overnight after several hours, officials said.
    — Geir Moulson, Los Angeles Times, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of blaze
Noun
  • The chips were made from trees killed in the 2020 Castle fire, an inferno that left thousands of acres of standing dead trunks.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026
  • In 1994, a raging inferno erupted at a home in the Flores neighborhood of Buenos Aires.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of inferno
Noun
  • Similarly, a major firefighting operation was underway in southwest Germany near the village of Traisen, where the heat sparked a forest fire in an area that also contained unexploded ordnance.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 June 2026
  • This Anglican example near Beaufort, South Carolina, was built in the 1740s, but was largely destroyed by a forest fire in 1886.
    — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 17 June 2026
Definition of forest fire
Noun
  • The crew decamped to Joshua Tree, jamming around a campfire and recording in a makeshift studio in their Airbnb.
    — Isabelle Farina, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Look for notes of black pepper, vanilla, citrus, and maple over an assertive, smoky base made up of flavors like iodine, seaweed, campfire, and licorice, and just a touch of heat on the finish at 46 percent ABV.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of campfire
Noun
  • Every few days there’s a communal dinner in the boma, which starts with a welcome performance from the team around a bonfire.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The event in Poland saw 45 of the brand’s global community of creators, adventurers and wearers arrive in the country for an invite-only Well Worn Blundstone bonfire, as part of the brand’s Well Worn campaign.
    — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of bonfire

Phrases Containing wildfire

Browse Nearby Words

wilderness
wildfire
wildfires
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Cite this Entry

“Wildfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wildfire. Accessed 30 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on wildfire

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wildfire

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