firing 1 of 2

noun

ˈfī-riŋ How to pronounce firing (audio)
Definition of firingnext
as in blasting
a directed propelling of a missile by a firearm or artillery piece found a flaw in the gun's firing

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firing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of fire
1
as in shooting
to cause (a projectile) to be driven forward with force police officers firing rubber bullets

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2
as in discharging
to cause a weapon to release a missile with great force soldiers fired at the enemy in panic-stricken disorder

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3
as in stimulating
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

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in sacking
to let go from office, service, or employment fired the secretary for incompetence

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5
as in throwing
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 burning
to set (something) on fire lit some kindling before attempting to fire the logs

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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 firing
Noun
The community member had witnessed the shooter firing at the pickup, authorities said. — Marlene Lenthang, NBC news, 16 Oct. 2026 In social media posts, the Police Officers Association blamed the situation on the City Manager and called for her firing. — Tim Fang, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Verb
Martone returned the favor on a power play late in the period, firing a shot toward the net that Ottawa goalie Linus Ullmark stopped. — ABC News, 17 Oct. 2026 The suspect then forced his way into the school by firing into the glass panes of an external set of double doors, police said. — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for firing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for firing
  1. blasting
  2. shooting
  3. stimulating
  4. sacking
  5. throwing
  6. burning
  7. bombardment
  8. launching
Noun
  • The authority will be erecting acoustic barriers and will send alerts for blasting and other disruptions.
    — Andy Sheehan, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026
  • Dandekar says the constant blasting of mountains to build these projects, including for miles-long tunnels, has its own impact.
    — Mamita Bhandari, NPR, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of blasting
Verb
  • Eventually, Chili invites Lee over to his house, far away from the ears of his former colleagues shooting pool at Secrets.
    — Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Thompson finished with 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting from the field and 2-of-7 shooting on threes in 23 minutes.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of shooting
Verb
  • The team also gave the muscle a workout, stimulating it with light for 15 minutes a day at two pulses per second.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 3 Oct. 2026
  • Head spas are credited with cleansing the scalp, stimulating blood flow, strengthening hair follicles and lowering stress and anxiety.
    — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 1 Oct. 2026
Definition of stimulating
Verb
  • The Miami pass rush had been building toward a breakout game and finally got it against Minnesota, sacking quarterback Kyler Murray four times and hitting him on several other occasions.
    — David Furones, Sun Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026
  • The Dolphins got constant pressure on the former first overall pick, sacking him four times.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of sacking
Verb
  • Jayden Daniels nearly salvaged the night without his top weapon, throwing second-half touchdown passes to Stefon Diggs and Rachaad White to cut the deficit to 23-17 before the 49ers' defense held firm on Washington's final possession.
    — Alejandro Avila OutKick, FOXNews.com, 20 Oct. 2026
  • His final output was nothing to write home about, throwing for 264 yards to no touchdowns and one interception, but Dieffenbach more than passed the eye test.
    — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of throwing
Verb
  • Israeli settlers attacked at least eight Palestinian villages in the West Bank, burning cars and olive trees and beating residents as the annual harvest got underway.
    — Sam Metz, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Additional videos from the scene show a man with a bloodied face after the attack, as well as flame pouring out of a burning car with Palestinian license plates.
    — Oren Liebermann, CNN Money, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of burning
Noun
  • Russia’s heavy bombardment of the power grid before winter sets in has been an annual feature of the war, aiming to wear down Ukraine’s appetite for the fight by denying civilians heating and running water.
    — Samya Kullab, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The two-day stoppage of early warnings raised alarm bells in Ukraine, where Russia has been increasing bombardments of power plants and, that night, hit a nine-story building in Kyiv and other civilian sites, killing five people.
    — Scott Peterson, Christian Science Monitor, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of bombardment
Verb
  • The company crossed $1 million in revenue just 12 months after launching its stream in May 2025.
    — Justin Birnbaum, Sportico.com, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The Tesla team put those thrusters to work multiple times during the presentation, at one point launching the Roadster over a line of six vehicles, including a Tesla semi-truck cab.
    — Mike Wall, Space.com, 16 Oct. 2026
Definition of launching

Browse Nearby Words

fireworks
firing
firing (at)
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Cite this Entry

“Firing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/firing. Accessed 21 Oct. 2026.

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