wildfire

noun

Definition of wildfirenext
as in blaze
a fire in a wild area (such as a forest) that is not controlled and that can burn a large area very quickly The recent wildfires were made worse by the strong winds.

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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 wildfire Khosla is part of a coalition of forest advocates who suspect the trees, which were killed in a wildfire, are being burned to generate electricity. — Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026 County officials said the facility could reduce the need to haul forest debris long distances and create a local use for material removed during forest-thinning and wildfire-prevention work. — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026 Large areas of Europe saw scorching temperatures this summer, with widespread wildfires, and at least 35,000 excess deaths thought to have been linked to the heat. — Robbie Griffiths, NPR, 21 Oct. 2026 The nursery is designed to produce low-cost seedlings for conservation, with some trees available for purchase and others used to restore forests affected by wildfires. — Dillon Thomas, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for wildfire
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wildfire
  1. blaze
  2. inferno
  3. forest fire
  4. campfire
  5. bonfire
Noun
  • California assembly members began their discussions on the efforts by the state’s major utilities to reduce wildfire risks and the liability those companies face when their equipment starts a blaze.
    — Stephen Hobbs, Sacbee.com, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Crews from Canton, South Van Zandt, Ben Wheeler, and Wills Point tackled the blaze.
    — Matthew Ablon, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of blaze
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
  • Similarly, a major firefighting operation was underway in southwest Germany near the village of Traisen, where the heat sparked a forest fire in an area that also contained unexploded ordnance.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 28 June 2026
  • This Anglican example near Beaufort, South Carolina, was built in the 1740s, but was largely destroyed by a forest fire in 1886.
    — Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 17 June 2026
Definition of forest fire
Noun
  • The crew decamped to Joshua Tree, jamming around a campfire and recording in a makeshift studio in their Airbnb.
    — Isabelle Farina, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
  • Look for notes of black pepper, vanilla, citrus, and maple over an assertive, smoky base made up of flavors like iodine, seaweed, campfire, and licorice, and just a touch of heat on the finish at 46 percent ABV.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of campfire
Noun
  • Every few days there’s a communal dinner in the boma, which starts with a welcome performance from the team around a bonfire.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The event in Poland saw 45 of the brand’s global community of creators, adventurers and wearers arrive in the country for an invite-only Well Worn Blundstone bonfire, as part of the brand’s Well Worn campaign.
    — Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of bonfire

Phrases Containing wildfire

Browse Nearby Words

wilderness
wildfire
wildfires
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Cite this Entry

“Wildfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wildfire. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on wildfire

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about wildfire

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