FIRES (UP) Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

fires (up)

verb

present tense third-person singular of fire (up)

as in encourages

to rouse to strong feeling or action the dynamic speaker fired up the audience as no one had previously done

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for fires (up)

Verb

Earlier this month, at least eight states sued OpenAI, with Iowa’s lawsuit alleging that ChatGPT gives dangerous medical advice, encourages paranoia and coaches people to hurt others or kill themselves.

— Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 28 Oct. 2026
The constraint of the task encourages a deeper looking, and gives us, part of a society suspicious of aimless activity, an excuse to mess around and explore a strange world.

— Joseph Ogilvy, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of encourages

Verb

Along with their organization’s missions, the pair picked horror because of the conversations the genre provokes.

— Isabelle Farina, Variety, 20 Oct. 2026
Another question, says Professor Trotti at Ithaca College, is whether a public execution portrays strength or provokes horror.

— Patrik Jonsson, Christian Science Monitor, 10 Oct. 2026

Definition of provokes

Verb

As the cooling metal tool depuffs swollen tissues and stimulates microcirculation, the peptide-rich cream works beneath the surface to rebuild structural volume.

— Christa Joanna Lee, Glamour, 23 Oct. 2026
Stronger muscles put more tension on the bones, which stimulates greater bone cell turnover.

— Maggie Ryan, Flow Space, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of stimulates

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.

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firestorms

fires (up)

fire (up)

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“Fires (up).” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fires%20%28up%29. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of fires (up)

verb

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