wildfire

noun

Definition of wildfirenext
as in blaze
a fire in a wild area (such as a forest) that is not controlled and that can burn a large area very quickly The recent wildfires were made worse by the strong winds.

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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 wildfire Fire clouds, scientifically known as pyrocumulonimbus storms, are gigantic thunderstorms produced by wildfire heat. — Emma Balleste, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026 Phil Garrigan, chair of the National Fire Chiefs Council, said the number of wildfires seen this year had already surpassed all-time records. — Nick Duffy, NBC news, 14 Aug. 2026 The company, whose goats eat vegetation to help prevent wildfires, has about 4,000 animals and eight herders, who are each paid $60,000 a year. — Ananya Chetia, CNBC, 13 Aug. 2026 Unlike the prolonged heat associated with many structure fires, a wildfire front can pass a building within minutes. — Giorgia Giardina, The Conversation, 13 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wildfire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wildfire
  1. blaze
  2. inferno
  3. forest fire
  4. campfire
  5. bonfire
Noun
  • The attack ignited a massive blaze at gasoline-storage tank that burned through the night into Tuesday morning, according to the Civil Defense, a first responders’ agency.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Aug. 2026
  • In Sicily, a recent outdoor installation of photographs of a forest damaged by wildfire by the Italian artist Stefano Cerio was nearly destroyed by a real-life blaze, per a report from Artribune.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of blaze
Noun
  • The inferno that follows, as the betrayer’s dragon sets fire to both armies and then Tumbleton itself, will be rendered with both practical flames and CGI.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 10 Aug. 2026
  • Charming, impulsive, and incapable of leaving a wound alone, Rodney is the sibling most likely to turn a spark into an inferno.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of inferno
Noun
  • Similarly, a major firefighting operation was underway in southwest Germany near the village of Traisen, where the heat sparked a forest fire in an area that also contained unexploded ordnance.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 June 2026
  • This Anglican example near Beaufort, South Carolina, was built in the 1740s, but was largely destroyed by a forest fire in 1886.
    — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 17 June 2026
Definition of forest fire
Noun
  • Grylls cuts off the animal’s tongue with a knife and boils it over a campfire.
    — Erin Jensen, USA Today, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The pollution is expected to drift into the Bay Area, stealthily diminishing air quality without the signature campfire smell associated with wildfire smoke, according to Anthony Edwards, the San Francisco Chronicle’s newsroom meteorologist.
    — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of campfire
Noun
  • There may be fewer seafood cookouts and bonfires, but the weather is lovely and there’s still plenty to do.
    — Lindsay Cohn, Travel + Leisure, 9 Aug. 2026
  • The ban prohibits most outdoor fires, including those for trash disposal, yard debris, land clearing, bonfires, and campfires not contained in structures such as fire rings.
    — Robbie Griffiths, NPR, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of bonfire

Phrases Containing wildfire

Browse Nearby Words

wilderness
wildfire
wildfires
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Cite this Entry

“Wildfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wildfire. Accessed 17 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on wildfire

Nglish: Translation of wildfire for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wildfire

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