1
as in fires
a destructive burning
the historic tavern burned to the ground in a horrible conflagration
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2
as in hostilities
a state of armed violent struggle between states, nations, or groups
what began as a skirmish over disputed territory erupted into a conflagration that swept the continent
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of conflagrations
The Disciple, which premiered last night at Sundance, is designed first and foremost as a portrait of Cilvaringz, and doubles as a testament to both the lingua franca power of hip-hop and the ability of obsession to fuel four-alarm conflagrations of creative ambition.
—
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Jan. 2026
She was involved, of course, but not in the direct line of fire in either of these conflagrations.
—Kate Aurthur, Variety, 21 Nov. 2025
But, throughout the decades, housing developments crept toward wildlands, the climate warmed, and fires increasingly escalated into unstoppable urban conflagrations.
—Ingfei Chen, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2025
As Southern California nears the heart of wildfire season, rebuilding is merely inching forward in areas hit by the most destructive conflagrations in Los Angeles history.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025
King commanding the stage with inventive conflagrations, fleet unison fingerwork by Collier and Philion, Rogers-Kaufman offering solos both cerebral and thrilling, and Damien winging through long features with the agility of a sparrow.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
Three years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and almost two years into Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza, both conflagrations have reached new heights.
—Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 23 Jan. 2026
She was involved, of course, but not in the direct line of fire in either of these conflagrations.
—Kate Aurthur, Variety, 21 Nov. 2025
But, throughout the decades, housing developments crept toward wildlands, the climate warmed, and fires increasingly escalated into unstoppable urban conflagrations.
—Ingfei Chen, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2025
As Southern California nears the heart of wildfire season, rebuilding is merely inching forward in areas hit by the most destructive conflagrations in Los Angeles history.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 26 Sep. 2025
King commanding the stage with inventive conflagrations, fleet unison fingerwork by Collier and Philion, Rogers-Kaufman offering solos both cerebral and thrilling, and Damien winging through long features with the agility of a sparrow.
—Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 1 Sep. 2025
Three years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and almost two years into Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza, both conflagrations have reached new heights.
—Shira Li Bartov, Sun Sentinel, 5 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conflagrations
Noun
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In southern Argentina, the fires first ignited by lightning forced the evacuation of thousands of tourists and residents and burned through over 174 square miles of native forest, including vast swaths of the Los Alerces National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site home to 2,600-year-old trees.—
Isabel Debre,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
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Design Making a Difference, partnering with Habitat for Humanity and the Foothill Catalog Foundation, to help rebuild homes lost in the fires.—
Jacqui Palumbo,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Meanwhile, Moscow escalated its attacks on Ukraine's power grid in an apparent effort to deny civilians power and to weaken public support for the war, while hostilities continued along the roughly 600-mile front line snaking through eastern and southern parts of Ukraine.—
DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
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Russia appears to be aiming to deny civilians power and weaken public support for the fight, while hostilities continue along the roughly 1,000-kilometer (600-mile) front line snaking along eastern and southern parts of Ukraine.—
EMMA BURROWS,
Chicago Tribune,
5 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Pressure from shareholders and the race to beat out competitors in the AI wars factor into the efficiency drive.—
Sarah Jackson,
CNBC,
10 Feb. 2026
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There are hot wars in Ukraine and Gaza, cold wars on the Korean peninsula and in the Taiwan Strait, and budding wars in Iran and parts of Africa.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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If multiple hypotheses work to explain the data equally well but one conflicts with reality in some other realm (and the other doesn’t), the one that’s valid across the widest range of applicability is superior.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
10 Feb. 2026
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Previously, there was also a recasting of the original leads, Saoirse Ronan and Austin Butler, due to scheduling conflicts, with Spaeny and Starkey taking over the roles.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
10 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Conflagrations.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conflagrations. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
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