firestorm
noun
fire·storm
ˈfī(-ə)r-ˌstȯrm 
1
: a very intense and destructive fire usually accompanied by high winds
The Rooses' house and gardens were obliterated in the 1991 Oakland firestorm.—
Craig Summers Black
Craig Summers Black
especially
: one that is started by attack with nuclear or incendiary weapons and that creates a powerful updraft which causes very strong inrushing winds to develop in the surrounding area
His goal was to create firestorms like the ones that had consumed Hamburg and Dresden, conflagrations so vast and intense that nothing could survive them … —David M. Kennedy
David M. Kennedy 2
a
: a sudden or violent outburst
a firestorm of public protest
b
: a raging controversy
a political firestorm
Examples of firestorm in a Sentence
The bombing left the city engulfed in a firestorm.
His proposal set off a political firestorm.
a firestorm of public protest
Recent Examples on the Web
President Trump facing a political firestorm over the Jeffrey Epstein files, dividing his base and putting the president on the defensive.
—ABC News, 28 Dec. 2025
Such editorial decisions can cause a firestorm, particularly on a slow news week.
—Arkansas Online, 26 Dec. 2025
However, the ongoing release of documents by the US government as well as the posthumous memoir of his accuser Virginia Giuffre ignited a firestorm of fresh scrutiny.
—Kara Fox, CNN Money, 23 Dec. 2025
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the last 24 hours is that Weiss appears not to have totally grasped the firestorm her decision would provoke.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firestorm
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ABC News, 28 Dec. 2025
Such editorial decisions can cause a firestorm, particularly on a slow news week.
—Arkansas Online, 26 Dec. 2025
However, the ongoing release of documents by the US government as well as the posthumous memoir of his accuser Virginia Giuffre ignited a firestorm of fresh scrutiny.
—Kara Fox, CNN Money, 23 Dec. 2025
Perhaps the biggest surprise of the last 24 hours is that Weiss appears not to have totally grasped the firestorm her decision would provoke.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 23 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firestorm
Cite this Entry
“Firestorm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/firestorm. Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.
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