firefight

noun

fire·​fight ˈfī(-ə)r-ˌfīt How to pronounce firefight (audio)
Synonyms of firefightnext
1
a
: a usually brief intense exchange of fire between opposing military units
b
: a hostile confrontation that involves gunfire
2
: skirmish sense 2b

Examples of firefight in a Sentence

a firefight between police and bank robbers
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.
The ensuing firefight leads most of the horses, along with Reece and Flyte, to the beach below, putting them in another vulnerable spot. — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026 Intense armed clashes soon followed, with the gang-fighting force reporting on Tuesday that four other soldiers deployed with the force were wounded during the firefight and are currently receiving treatment. — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 Oct. 2026 The gang eventually released its hostages but dug into the tiny nearby hamlet of Bois D’Avril, into which Prince’s foreign ex-special forces flew in September, engaging them in an hours-long firefight. — Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 17 Oct. 2026 Hasan is confined to a wheelchair; he was paralyzed as a result of the firefight that ended his shooting spree. — Amy Davidson Sorkin, New Yorker, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for firefight

Word History

First Known Use

1899, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of firefight was in 1899

Rhymes for firefight

See All Rhymes for firefight

Browse Nearby Words

firefang
firefight
firefighter
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Firefight.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/firefight. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on firefight

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for firefight

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of milieu

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All