FIRES Synonyms: 296 Similar and Opposite Words

fires 1 of 2

noun

plural of fire

as in infernos

a destructive burning a number of suspicious fires in the neighborhood recently

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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

fires

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of fire

as in shoots

to cause (a projectile) to be driven forward with force police officers firing rubber bullets

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in blasts

to cause a weapon to release a missile with great force soldiers fired at the enemy in panic-stricken disorder

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

as in sacks

to let go from office, service, or employment fired the secretary for incompetence

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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

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. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of fires

Noun

The system also has to predict where the next gap will be, because there is a slight delay while the jet fires and the user is constantly moving the brush. — Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026 Every few years, devastating fires in major cities left underwriters paying damages that would run into the billions today. — Alison J. Stein, HubSpot, 1 Sep. 2026 The benefit ultimately raised more than $9 million for wildfire victims after the fires killed 14 people and damaged or destroyed more than 2,400 buildings, according to ABC News. — Janelle Ash , Larry Fink, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026 That’s in part due to their handling of homes requiring cleaning due to smoke and other contaminants caused by the fires. — Paris Barraza, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026 Crews worked Monday to clear dry vegetation that could ignite from a lightning strike and cause fast-spreading fires, Abbott said. — Jamie Stengle, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026 Joy Chen, executive director of Every Fire Survivor’s Network, a group of survivors of the 2025 Los Angeles-area fires, said the deal was a win for them. — ABC News, 1 Sep. 2026 There is a history of large plume dominated fires this time of year with similar weather and fuel conditions, including the Bridge, Bobcat, and Station fires. — Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 25 Aug. 2026 Eddie Howe left this summer, exhausted from fighting fires, and other big players have gone. — George Caulkin, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026

Verb

Picture Angel Reese grabbing a rebound and passing to Caitlin Clark, who then fires down the floor to Paige Bueckers, who drives to the goal and fools the help defender with a dish to the best player on the planet. — Ian O'Connor, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026 The fact is, MLB’s next expansion derby isn’t going to be won by the city that wakes up after Commissioner Rob Manfred fires the starting gun. — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 14 Aug. 2026 The bureau conducts its own investigation each time an agent fires a weapon. — Isabelle Chapman, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026 And 10 years later, DOGE actually fires hundreds of thousands of federal workers. — Tonya Mosley, NPR, 10 Aug. 2026 Reach out to a teammate about travel plans or a community event, because purpose fires your optimism and keeps everyone moving together. — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026 Kyiv often fires hundreds of drones into Russia in retaliation for Russia launching hundreds of its own drones and dozens of missiles at Ukrainian towns and cities. — CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026 Zelenskyy is keen to move quickly on a coproduction agreement as Russia relentlessly fires ballistic missiles that are hard to stop and cause civilian casualties as well as inflicting huge damage on civilian areas. — ABC News, 24 July 2026 The machine fires X-ray beams at a subject, then uses a specialized camera to record how a bone absorbs the beams based on density. — Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 23 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for fires

Noun

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
From a military perspective though, this strike, and the infernos which have engulfed other Wildberries facilities, have some important lessons for the rest of the world.

— David Hambling, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

Definition of infernos

Verb

Later, the dual protagonist perspectives come into play during a police chase when Lucia takes the wheel while Jason shoots out the window.

— Angela Yang, NBC news, 27 Aug. 2026
Even during the rut, Infalt shoots most of his mature bucks in the thick stuff near where deer sleep.

— Josh Honeycutt, Outdoor Life, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of shoots

Verb

John’s little motorbike proves no match for the large truck commandeered by the T-1000, which blasts through a cinder block wall at one point.

— ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026
Star Wars is no stranger to good video games, and Zero Company quite handily blasts its way into the conversation as one of the best.

— Hayes Madsen, Space.com, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of blasts

Verb

Stronger trade winds help to move warm surface water away from the South American coast, which stimulates upwelling—that is, the movement of cold, dense, and nutrient-rich deep ocean water toward the surface.

— John P. Rafferty, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 Aug. 2026
That extra load stimulates bones to grow denser and challenges muscles to adapt.

— Samantha Agate, Kansas City Star, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of stimulates

Verb

Cale Britt sacks the quarterback and Bishop Moore will take over on downs at their own 42.

— Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
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

Definition of sacks

Verb

Joe accuses Nathan of being insecure; Nathan throws the accusation back.

— Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 1 Sep. 2026
The soft gray-white rattan complements the tailored beige high-density comfort cushions and creates an airy backdrop for your ever-evolving collection of seasonal all-weather pillows and throws.

— Maria Conti, Better Homes & Gardens, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of throws

Verb

Impossibly juicy to its core, the chicken is served with a clever tofu-mustard sauce that’s tangy, savory, and smooth (not unlike ranch but also definitely not ranch) and a winning, aromatic jiao chili sauce that burns with a sweet heat.

— The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026
When applied to weeds, vinegar burns the leaves and foliage but not the root system.

— Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 22 Aug. 2026

Definition of burns

Browse Nearby Words

fireproof

fires

fire sale

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Fires.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fires. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of fires

noun

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

apiary

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Games & Quizzes