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
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.
Noun
Los Angeles County Fire Department units are on the ground and in the air fighting the brush fire, the department said on Facebook. Pilar Arias, Fox News, 10 Dec. 2024 Traffic heading south on Falls Road toward the I-83 exit was backed up before 7 a.m. The brush fire at Camp Small, the city’s wood waste collection area, was one of at least two fires that firefighters were tackling throughout the city on a subfreezing night with gusty winds. Michelle Deal-Zimmerman, Baltimore Sun, 6 Dec. 2024 The New York region is unlikely to ever have as many brush fires as out West. Michael S. Schmidt Hilary Howard Nicholas Nehamas Tyler Hicks, New York Times, 20 Nov. 2024 The dry conditions are contributing to the brush fires as well. Julia Gomez, USA TODAY, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for brushfire 

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 22 Dec. 2024.

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