firestorm
noun
fire·storm
ˈfī(-ə)r-ˌstȯrm 
1
: a very intense and destructive fire usually accompanied by high winds
The Rooses' house and gardens were obliterated in the 1991 Oakland firestorm.—
Craig Summers Black
Craig Summers Black
especially
: one that is started by attack with nuclear or incendiary weapons and that creates a powerful updraft which causes very strong inrushing winds to develop in the surrounding area
His goal was to create firestorms like the ones that had consumed Hamburg and Dresden, conflagrations so vast and intense that nothing could survive them … —David M. Kennedy
David M. Kennedy 2
a
: a sudden or violent outburst
a firestorm of public protest
b
: a raging controversy
a political firestorm
Examples of firestorm in a Sentence
The bombing left the city engulfed in a firestorm.
His proposal set off a political firestorm.
a firestorm of public protest
Recent Examples on the Web
Every dollar raised will help restore special lives that are dramatically disrupted in so many ways, far beyond the firestorm tragedies.
—News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2025
Related Articles State considers how to spend nearly half a billion dollars available after collapse of Los Vaqueros Reservoir expansion project
How better water systems can help a city survive the next firestorm
California’s first zero-emission car mandates are coming.
—Mark Gongloff, The Mercury News, 19 Feb. 2025
Gillett has been at the center of a firestorm as the utilities have filed lawsuits in a contentious atmosphere for an agency that in the past was known for being low key and not making headlines.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 18 Feb. 2025
Levine and the developer, Bruce Teitelbaum, have struck a tentative deal as part of the rezoning process that could help the project get over the finish line nearly three years after an initial attempt to secure approval spectacularly imploded, causing a political firestorm.
—Téa Kvetenadze, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firestorm
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News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Feb. 2025
Related Articles State considers how to spend nearly half a billion dollars available after collapse of Los Vaqueros Reservoir expansion project
How better water systems can help a city survive the next firestorm
California’s first zero-emission car mandates are coming.
—Mark Gongloff, The Mercury News, 19 Feb. 2025
Gillett has been at the center of a firestorm as the utilities have filed lawsuits in a contentious atmosphere for an agency that in the past was known for being low key and not making headlines.
—Christopher Keating, Hartford Courant, 18 Feb. 2025
Levine and the developer, Bruce Teitelbaum, have struck a tentative deal as part of the rezoning process that could help the project get over the finish line nearly three years after an initial attempt to secure approval spectacularly imploded, causing a political firestorm.
—Téa Kvetenadze, New York Daily News, 18 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for firestorm
Articles Related to firestorm
Cite this Entry
“Firestorm.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/firestorm. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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