Definition of conflagrationnext
1
as in inferno
a destructive burning the historic tavern burned to the ground in a horrible conflagration

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2
as in hostilities
a state of armed violent struggle between states, nations, or groups what began as a skirmish over disputed territory erupted into a conflagration that swept the continent

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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 conflagration Chwalińska was the symbol of a tournament busted wide open, a chaotic conflagration of all the forces of women’s tennis these days, where depth causes danger from the moment the first balls fly. Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 6 June 2026 Israeli military strikes on Iranian oil infrastructure have sparked days-long conflagrations, releasing a plume of noxious sulflur dioxide over an area roughly the size of Italy. Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026 Lara claimed the company underpaid claims and was slow to investigate damage to homes and possible contamination from smoke, caused by conflagrations that destroyed huge swaths of the Pacific Palisades and Altadena. Pat Maio, Oc Register, 3 June 2026 Higher temperatures combined with dense volumes of dry and flammable vegetation has raised the risk of even the smallest conflagrations quickly bellowing into unstoppable mega-fires. Tristan Bove, Fortune, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for conflagration
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conflagration
Noun
  • But Grand Junction’s cloudless blue sky gave no hint of the inferno that continued to ravage the Colorado-Utah border less than an hour away.
    Chelsea Bailey, CNN Money, 29 June 2026
  • The story detailed the first critical hours of the Palisades fire, when thousands of residents had to decide whether and how to flee the inferno.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 June 2026
Noun
  • Breaches are common and have been used strategically to set a standard, tit-for-tat style, of acceptable lower-level hostilities during the sensitive period.
    ABC News, ABC News, 1 July 2026
  • The recent military action tested an initial agreement that was supposed to halt hostilities during 60 days of negotiations.
    Xiaoqian Lin, CNN Money, 29 June 2026
Noun
  • An evacuation warning was issued for the area of Paradise Ranch, between Templin Highway and the Pyramid Lake area, according to Los Angeles County fire officials.
    Andrea Klick, Daily News, 7 July 2026
  • In Los Angeles County, the fire department said a man was critically injured after a fire burned at least two cars in a parking lot in the Wilmington neighborhood on July 3.
    Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 7 July 2026
Noun
  • Alnaji was part of a pro-Palestinian group protesting over the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza and Kessler was demonstrating in support of Israel, authorities have said.
    Phil Helsel, NBC news, 2 July 2026
  • The war period saw its own moments of threats to rights, such as suspending habeas corpus, the legal mechanism to prevent arbitrary detention.
    Chris Kenning, USA Today, 2 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Conflagration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conflagration. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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