dumpster fire

noun

variants or less commonly Dumpster fire
US, informal
: an utterly calamitous or mismanaged situation or occurrence : disaster
Reese and McAdoo take the fall for what has been a dumpster fire of a season, one which has them at 2-10 on the season, and in line for one of the top two picks in the 2018 NFL Draft.—James Kratch
So while 2017 has been, by many measures, a complete dumpster fire of a year, New Yorkers can at the very least take refuge in the fact that their city is becoming an even safer place to live.—Clayton Guse

Examples of dumpster fire in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
All harmony, no dumpster fires. — Sarah Wang, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026 Platner is a political dumpster fire and the epitome of their moral hypocrisy. — Doug Friednash, Denver Post, 3 June 2026 Needless to say, the US is embroiled in a sociopolitical dumpster fire. — Literary Hub, 30 Mar. 2026 After a so-so series debut and a bad Game 2, Jokić had a dumpster fire of a performance in Game 3, with poor shooting and even worse defense. — Matt Schubert, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dumpster fire

Word History

First Known Use

2006, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of dumpster fire was in 2006

Rhymes for dumpster fire

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Browse Nearby Words

dumpster diving
dumpster fire
dump trailer
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dumpster fire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dumpster%20fire. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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