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
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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
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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
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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Recent Examples of fires
Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 10 Jan. 2026
Park’s remarks came two days after the official one-year anniversary of the start of the fires.
—City News Service, Daily News, 10 Jan. 2026
Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches.
—Ca Earthquake Bot, Sacbee.com, 10 Jan. 2026
Before the Los Angeles fires of 2025, the largest natural disaster to hit the Southern California region was the Northridge Earthquake.
—Jamie Yuccas, CBS News, 10 Jan. 2026
Besides government offices, many areas had been severely damaged by disrepair, and fires – easy to occur since most buildings were wooden structures.
—Fred He, CNN Money, 6 Nov. 2025
Some of this, of course, is related to fires in California and hurricanes in the southeast that destroyed an enormous amount of utility infrastructure.
—Tom Rogers, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Nov. 2025
Continue reading … CLARIFIED CASE – DHS fires back after viral video sparks claims about ICE daycare raid.
—FOXNews.com, 6 Nov. 2025
The system successfully handled both open-area and shielded oil fires, including those likely to occur on aircraft carriers.
—Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 6 Nov. 2025
Corky Siemaszko, NBC news, 10 Jan. 2026
Still holding a cellphone in one hand, Ross fires a shot through the windshield.
—Brian Niemietz, Chicago Tribune, 9 Jan. 2026
The vehicle begins to pull forward and a different ICE officer standing in front of it pulls his weapon and immediately fires at least two shots at close range, jumping back as the vehicle moves toward him.
—Michael Biesecker, Los Angeles Times, 9 Jan. 2026
The Honda Pilot begins to pull forward, and a different ICE officer standing in front of it pulls his weapon and immediately fires at least two shots at close range, jumping back as the vehicle moves toward him.
—Dallas Morning News, 9 Jan. 2026
The agent fires within a second or two of that movement toward him.
—Dan Mangan, CNBC, 9 Jan. 2026
The cartridge fires a 40-grain bullet at approximately 1,260 feet per second.
—Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2025
Oh, and if Indiana fires him without cause, Cignetti would be due 100% of his remaining salary.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 29 Oct. 2025
When Gonzalez's battalion fires the GBIs at the missile, there's a brief sense of optimism.
—Allison Degrushe, Entertainment Weekly, 27 Oct. 2025
Noun
They were doomed to perish in the fires of hell.
—Verb
Witness videos show that at the moment Ross fires his first shot into the front of the SUV, its wheels are directed away from him.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for fires
Noun
-
The medical ordeals are traumatic and disgusting, but fascinating and full of the quirks of modern life.—
-
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.—
Verb
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The expansion Raptors shoots 0-for-3 from the foul line.—
-
The officer shoots a second time.—
Verb
-
As Europop blasts from the speakers, the dancer performs cartwheels and backflips in the general vicinity of the robot, which at one point drops to the floor to crank out some push-ups.—
-
And then, out of nowhere, the Mandarin blasts you with a force beam just before Fin Fang Foom tries punching your iron head through your iron rectum.—
Verb
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The viral beauty gadget stimulates collagen, boosts circulation, and leaves you with plump, youthful results.—
-
Continuing to seek out mental and social challenges stimulates brain metabolism, neuroplasticity and vascular health, according to Efrati, who also serves as chair of the medical advisory board at Aviv Clinics, which operates in Florida and Tel Aviv.—
Verb
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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.—
-
Riley Moss sacks a scrambling Trevor Lawrence on third-and-4 for a 1-yard loss.—
Verb
-
Texas Rangers pitcher Tyler Mahle throws to the Los Angeles Angels in the first inning of a baseball game, Tuesday, April 15, 2025, Arlington, Texas.—
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In response, an employee throws what appeared to be a burger box at a man in a white T-shirt who appears to be accompanying the woman.—
Verb
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Saito burns about 7,000 calories per day and has lost 13 pounds so far.—
-
Unlike conventional scramjets that rely on kerosene, SPARTAN burns hydrogen, producing zero carbon emissions while enabling reusable, low-maintenance hypersonic flight.—
Noun
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In more recent years, fire policies have been based mostly in suppression, researchers say, which have led to bigger wildfires.—
-
All active wildfires are shown.—
Cite this Entry
“Fires.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fires. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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