1
as in infernos
a destructive burning
a number of suspicious fires in the neighborhood recently
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in ordeals
a test of faith, patience, or strength
asked to be sent to the front lines, as he was eager to prove himself in the fire of battle
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
as in shoots
to cause (a projectile) to be driven forward with force
police officers firing rubber bullets
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
3
as in stimulates
to give life, vigor, or spirit to
a school outing to the natural history museum fired his imagination, and he grew up to become an eminent paleontologist
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in sacks
to let go from office, service, or employment
fired the secretary for incompetence
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in throws
to send through the air especially with a quick forward motion of the arm
fired a pass to the running back
Synonyms & Similar Words
6
as in burns
to set (something) on fire
lit some kindling before attempting to fire the logs
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fires
Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
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
Deadliest rampage since 2020 The attack was Canada’s deadliest rampage since 2020, when a gunman in Nova Scotia killed 13 people and set fires that left another nine dead.
—Rob Gillies, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.
—Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Despite the fires and tariffs, Ford managed to deliver record revenue of $187 billion for the full year, up from $185 billion in 2024, marking the company’s fifth consecutive year of top line growth.
—Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 10 Feb. 2026
In the year since the property has been vacant, and fenced off, 27 fires have gutted or scorched empty units, located between Truman Road and 18th Street, Woodland and Brooklyn avenues.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 4 Feb. 2026
Then came the fires in January 2025.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 4 Feb. 2026
This will be our last week stoking the fires.
—David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 4 Feb. 2026
Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 30 Jan. 2026
Test your news knowledge with this week's Fox News Digital News Quiz, in which former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick faces a major snub, and Virginia Commonwealth University fires an employee after ICE videos.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Three law enforcement experts told CNN the pattern of shots could be indicative of contagious fire, a term used to describe when an officer fires a weapon in response to the sound of another officer’s gunfire.
—Yahya Abou-Ghazala, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is now leading the investigation, which is standard when an officer fires a weapon.
—Abby Dodge, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2026
The group is immersed in the Husky-eat-Husky world of EA Sports’ College Football ’26, Dynasty Deep Dive, a popular video game that assigns coaches, hires and fires them, simulates recruiting and team building.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 23 Jan. 2026
The gunman then fires four shots at two witnesses outside a nearby funeral home.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 21 Jan. 2026
At that point, the vehicle begins to move forward and a different ICE officer pulls his weapon and immediately fires at close range, then quickly jumps out of the way.
—Jessica Schladebeck, Mercury News, 16 Jan. 2026
Many of those affected believe that they were wounded by a secret weapon that fires a high-energy beam of microwaves or ultrasound.
—CBS News, 15 Jan. 2026
Noun
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
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
Deadliest rampage since 2020 The attack was Canada’s deadliest rampage since 2020, when a gunman in Nova Scotia killed 13 people and set fires that left another nine dead.
—Rob Gillies, Chicago Tribune, 11 Feb. 2026
Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.
—Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 10 Feb. 2026
Despite the fires and tariffs, Ford managed to deliver record revenue of $187 billion for the full year, up from $185 billion in 2024, marking the company’s fifth consecutive year of top line growth.
—Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 10 Feb. 2026
In the year since the property has been vacant, and fenced off, 27 fires have gutted or scorched empty units, located between Truman Road and 18th Street, Woodland and Brooklyn avenues.
—Eric Adler, Kansas City Star, 4 Feb. 2026
Then came the fires in January 2025.
—Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 4 Feb. 2026
This will be our last week stoking the fires.
—David Ferrara, Cincinnati Enquirer, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
That specific string cover of Taylor Swift’s anthem backs a different Cinderella-esque scene involving the pair, who miraculously reconnect in the countryside after Araminta (Katie Leung) fires Sophie from her position as housemaid in the Penwood home.
—Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 30 Jan. 2026
Test your news knowledge with this week's Fox News Digital News Quiz, in which former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick faces a major snub, and Virginia Commonwealth University fires an employee after ICE videos.
—Staff, FOXNews.com, 30 Jan. 2026
Three law enforcement experts told CNN the pattern of shots could be indicative of contagious fire, a term used to describe when an officer fires a weapon in response to the sound of another officer’s gunfire.
—Yahya Abou-Ghazala, CNN Money, 30 Jan. 2026
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is now leading the investigation, which is standard when an officer fires a weapon.
—Abby Dodge, Miami Herald, 24 Jan. 2026
The group is immersed in the Husky-eat-Husky world of EA Sports’ College Football ’26, Dynasty Deep Dive, a popular video game that assigns coaches, hires and fires them, simulates recruiting and team building.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 23 Jan. 2026
The gunman then fires four shots at two witnesses outside a nearby funeral home.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 21 Jan. 2026
At that point, the vehicle begins to move forward and a different ICE officer pulls his weapon and immediately fires at close range, then quickly jumps out of the way.
—Jessica Schladebeck, Mercury News, 16 Jan. 2026
Many of those affected believe that they were wounded by a secret weapon that fires a high-energy beam of microwaves or ultrasound.
—CBS News, 15 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fires
Noun
-
The medical ordeals are traumatic and disgusting, but fascinating and full of the quirks of modern life.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
8 Jan. 2026
-
Both women survived, but are still reeling from ordeals that have drawn national attention — in part, because they were captured on video and shared on social media.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
3 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
However, McDaniels might be the one who shoots on it the most, chucking the two women’s basketballs Grant also brought for the room.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Bautista stabs and shoots his assailants in an operatic eruption of violence that is done in a single, extended shot.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That first date between Pfeiffer and Modine, for example, is intercut with an action sequence in which Stockwell blasts his way out of an assassination attempt.—
Jim Hemphill,
IndieWire,
4 Feb. 2026
-
As Sons points out, plants want consistent warmth, not blasts of heat, which can cause scorching.—
Heather Bien,
The Spruce,
19 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The viral beauty gadget stimulates collagen, boosts circulation, and leaves you with plump, youthful results.—
Kyra Surgent,
InStyle,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Then, they are manually placed on Multi Electrode Arrays (MEAs), a grid of tiny electrodes on a biocompatible substrate chip that records and stimulates neurons using 32 electrodes grouped into four sets of eight.—
Matthew S Williams,
Interesting Engineering,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Manning, back for what is probably his final season, is on the short list of best returning quarterbacks in the country and edge rusher Colin Simmons won the SEC sacks title with 12.—
Cedric Golden,
Austin American Statesman,
3 Jan. 2026
-
Riley Moss sacks a scrambling Trevor Lawrence on third-and-4 for a 1-yard loss.—
Joe Nguyen,
Denver Post,
21 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Drawing from much more than the caustic hardcore the group have made their name on, Man Bites Dog throws jock jams, late-aughts electro-pop, and industrial into a huge Margaritaville-sized blender.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
13 Feb. 2026
-
But Europa's environment throws a wrench in the works.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
13 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Production is entirely dependent on electricity and the generator burns about 700 hryvnias ($16) worth of fuel per hour.—
Kamila Hrabchuk,
Fortune,
8 Feb. 2026
-
The sky has deepened to a clear blue, though the famously slow sunset still burns orange on the horizon.—
Rick Jordan,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
Insurance companies have restricted business and dropped large numbers of California customers in recent years due to losses from past wildfires and concerns about the rising risks of major ones in the future.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Chronic exposure to pollution from wildfires has been linked to tens of thousands of deaths annually in the United States, according to a new study.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fires.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fires. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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