wildfire

noun

1
: a sweeping and destructive conflagration especially in a wilderness or a rural area
2
3
: a phosphorescent glow (such as ignis fatuus or fox fire)
4
: a destructive leaf-spot disease of tobacco caused by several strains of a bacterium (Pseudomonas syringae)
Phrases
like wildfire
: very rapidly
the news spread like wildfire

Examples of wildfire in a Sentence

The recent wildfires were made worse by the strong winds.
Recent Examples on the Web Some wildfires just won't die, even if they're buried, according to Scientific American. Chad Murphy, The Enquirer, 13 Mar. 2024 Police allege a cyclist in a ‘national parks’ shirt broke equipment that detects wildfires. Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 8 Mar. 2024 More than 1 million acres of land have burned up in the fires, including the Smokehouse Creek Fire, the largest wildfire in Texas history. Li Cohen, CBS News, 7 Mar. 2024 Last year, the United States saw a record 28 weather disasters that cost at least $1 billion each, including deadly wildfires in Maui and severe flooding in Vermont, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Maxine Joselow, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 In the spirit of Texans helping Texans, the Lone Star State’s favorite homegrown grocery store has announced a $1 million donation to help Panhandle residents and first responders suffering through the largest wildfire in state history. Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 4 Mar. 2024 Strong winds spread flames and led to a town’s evacuation while airplanes dropped fire retardant over the northern Texas Panhandle in an attempt to stop the largest wildfire in state history. Valerie Gonzalez, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2024 Photograph: Roman Dial More woody vegetation in the far north also means more fuel for wildfires, which spew even more carbon into the atmosphere. Matt Simon, WIRED, 4 Mar. 2024 Meanwhile, Texas is bracing for more dry air and ferocious winds today and into the weekend — likely fueling the flames of several wildfires in the region. Alexandra Banner, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wildfire.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of wildfire was in the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near wildfire

Cite this Entry

“Wildfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wildfire. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

wildfire

noun
: an uncontrollable fire that destroys a wide area
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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