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 Some of Europe’s biggest insurance companies told CNBC this week that the region isn’t adequately prepared to deal with the risks of wildfires and weather disasters, leaving a substantial share of financial damage uninsured. — Sawdah Bhaimiya, CNBC, 7 Aug. 2026 She's been writing about wildfires since the Florida firestorm of 1998. — Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 7 Aug. 2026 Hamilton will take over in the middle of a busy summer disaster season that has already brought destructive wildfires and dangerous flooding and as FEMA manages more than 1,000 open disaster declarations. — Gabriela Aoun Angueira, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026 Such burning can significantly reduce the intensity and destructiveness of wildfires, many fire professionals and researchers agree. — Murphy Woodhouse, NPR, 7 Aug. 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 blazes had collectively charred some 8,000 acres Monday afternoon with 0% containment.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles last fall sued SoCal Edison alleging the company’s negligence caused the Eaton Fire and another blaze, seeking to recover tens of millions of dollars in damage to thousands of acres of Angeles National Forest Land.
    — Denise Petski, Deadline, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of blaze
Noun
  • The blaze was far smaller than a vast inferno that has swept up the Bordeaux region in southwestern France in recent days.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 30 July 2026
  • The soaring temperatures have caused raging infernos across southern France and Spain, with European wildfires burning through 56% more land than in prior years.
    — Oliver Balch, Fortune, 27 July 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
  • Maybe the queen begins a scandalous affair with a new lover as a betrayal takes place around a campfire in another town.
    — Brian Grubb, Vulture, 3 Aug. 2026
  • Redolent of palo santo, leather, tobacco flowers, and patchouli, its invocation of campfire and church incense will keep the aura of sacred smoke around you all day.
    — Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of campfire
Noun
  • The ban prohibits most outdoor fires, including those for trash disposal, yard debris, land clearing, bonfires, and campfires not contained in structures such as fire rings.
    — Robbie Griffiths, NPR, 2 Aug. 2026
  • Fundamentally, the protest in Delhi amounted to a carnivalesque bonfire of Brand Modi.
    — Asim Ali, Time, 1 Aug. 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 10 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on wildfire

Nglish: Translation of wildfire for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wildfire

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