brushfire

1 of 2

adjective

brush·​fire ˈbrəsh-ˌfī(-ə)r How to pronounce brushfire (audio)
: involving mobilization only on a small and local scale
brushfire border wars

brush fire

2 of 2

noun

1
: a fire involving low-growing plants (such as scrub and brush)
2
: a minor conflict or crisis
putting out political brush fires

Examples of brushfire in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Last year, a brush fire forced a group to evacuate from Elysian Park. Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 18 Sep. 2024 After receiving a warning of a brush fire in their area, the user starts by staking one end of the Blaze Barrier line to the ground. Ben Coxworth, New Atlas, 11 Sep. 2024 Scott Peterson/Getty Images/The Christian Science Monitor Across town, Oleksandr Radin, a pastor at the Rock of Salvation evangelical church with grey stubble and a gold lower tooth, speaks after volunteering to put out a brush fire sparked by extreme temperatures. Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 30 July 2024 The Watch Fire started on July 10 as a small brush fire. Annie Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 24 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for brushfire 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'brushfire.' 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

Adjective

1954, in the meaning defined above

Noun

1850, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of brushfire was in 1850

Dictionary Entries Near brushfire

brushed

brushfire

brush fire

Cite this Entry

“Brushfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brushfire. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.

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