conflagration

noun

ˌkän-flə-ˈgrā-shən How to pronounce conflagration (audio)
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 conflagration But with so many armed actors and so much meddling going on in each other’s countries, a regional conflagration becomes increasingly likely. — Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 14 Oct. 2026 But the more important story is that the Party has ignited a longer-term conflagration, which is on the cusp of burning out of control. — Jon Allsop, New Yorker, 10 Oct. 2026 Across the country, climate change is ravaging ecosystems, bringing more robust storms, rising sea levels, record-setting conflagrations and fatal heat waves. — Jennifer Oldham, Denver Post, 8 Oct. 2026 The concern now is that the conflicts will intersect with the civil war in neighboring Sudan, causing a complicated, regionwide conflagration. — Alemayehu Fentaw Weldemariam, The Conversation, 29 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for conflagration
Recent Examples of Synonyms for conflagration
  1. inferno
  2. hostilities
  3. fire
  4. war
Noun
  • In 1994, a raging inferno erupted at a home in the Flores neighborhood of Buenos Aires.
    — K. Thor Jensen, PC Magazine, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Other passengers included André Breton, Victor Serge, and Claude Lévi-Strauss—all fleeing the inferno.
    — Alex Ross, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of inferno
Noun
  • Riyadh said the discussions were aimed at keeping diplomatic channels open and preventing another escalation in hostilities.
    — Lee Ying Shan, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The conflict is now in its seventh month, and both countries seem a bit far apart on how to end hostilities.
    — Mathew Miranda, Sacbee.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of hostilities
Noun
  • Ukraine's General Staff that day said its forces hit an electronics plant in Oryol that makes components for the cruise and ballistic missiles Russia fires at Ukrainian cities.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 26 Oct. 2026
  • But the drought that set the stage for the fires has dried up Baltzor's hay meadows, too.
    — Anna King, NPR, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of fire
Noun
  • While Healey is expected to let a reduction in his fiscal buffer do most of the work on the basis that the Iran war has blown a hole in his accounts, tax increases are still likely.
    — Ian King, CNBC, 27 Oct. 2026
  • In March, the Pentagon reportedly began shipping Patriot and THAAD components from South Korea to the Middle East to support the Iran war.
    — Dan Blumenthal, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of war

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conflagrant
conflagration
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Cite this Entry

“Conflagration.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/conflagration. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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