50 Idioms for Fire With Meanings & Sentences
Idioms for Fire
1. Play with fire
Meaning: To take dangerous or foolish risks.
In a Sentence: If you cheat on the test, you’re playing with fire.
Other Ways to Say: Take risks, tempt fate.
2. Light a fire under someone
Meaning: To motivate or urge someone to take action.
In a Sentence: The coach tried to light a fire under the team before the big game.
Other Ways to Say: Inspire, spur on.
3. Out of the frying pan into the fire
Meaning: To go from a bad situation to a worse one.
In a Sentence: After losing his job, he went from the frying pan into the fire when his car broke down.
Other Ways to Say: From bad to worse, worsening the situation.
4. Trial by fire
Meaning: A difficult experience that tests one’s ability or character.
In a Sentence: Starting his new job on the busiest day was a real trial by fire.
Other Ways to Say: Tough initiation, severe test.
5. Add fuel to the fire
Meaning: To make a bad situation worse.
In a Sentence: His angry response only added fuel to the fire.
Other Ways to Say: Intensify the problem, worsen the issue.
6. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire
Meaning: There’s always some truth behind a rumor.
In a Sentence: I don’t know if the scandal is real, but where there’s smoke, there’s fire.
Other Ways to Say: No smoke without fire, truth in rumors.
7. Fire in the belly
Meaning: Strong ambition or determination.
In a Sentence: She has a fire in her belly to succeed in the tech world.
Other Ways to Say: Burning desire, drive.
8. Get fired up
Meaning: To become excited or enthusiastic.
In a Sentence: The fans got fired up before the big match.
Other Ways to Say: Get pumped, be excited.
9. Baptism by fire
Meaning: A first experience that’s very challenging or intense.
In a Sentence: His first day in the ER was a baptism by fire.
Other Ways to Say: Harsh start, tough beginning.
10. Hold someone’s feet to the fire
Meaning: To pressure someone to do something or take responsibility.
In a Sentence: The media held the politician’s feet to the fire over the scandal.
Other Ways to Say: Pressure, demand accountability.
11. Fire away
Meaning: Go ahead and ask questions or speak freely.
In a Sentence: If you have any questions, fire away.
Other Ways to Say: Go ahead, speak freely.
12. On fire
Meaning: Performing exceptionally well.
In a Sentence: The basketball player was on fire last night.
Other Ways to Say: In top form, doing great.
13. Fight fire with fire
Meaning: To respond to an attack using similar tactics.
In a Sentence: She decided to fight fire with fire in the courtroom.
Other Ways to Say: Retaliate equally, match aggression.
14. Set the world on fire
Meaning: To do something remarkable or revolutionary.
In a Sentence: Her invention set the world on fire.
Other Ways to Say: Change the game, make waves.
15. Fire up the engine
Meaning: To start something, especially with energy.
In a Sentence: Let’s fire up the engine and get going.
Other Ways to Say: Start up, kick off.
16. Get the sack (get fired)
Meaning: To be dismissed from a job.
In a Sentence: He got the sack after missing three deadlines.
Other Ways to Say: Be fired, lose a job.
17. Spread like wildfire
Meaning: To spread quickly and uncontrollably.
In a Sentence: The news of the celebrity breakup spread like wildfire.
Other Ways to Say: Go viral, spread fast.
18. Play with matches
Meaning: Engage in reckless behavior.
In a Sentence: You’re playing with matches by trusting him again.
Other Ways to Say: Take unnecessary risks, flirt with danger.
19. Firestorm
Meaning: A large and intense reaction or controversy.
In a Sentence: His comments caused a political firestorm.
Other Ways to Say: Uproar, controversy.
20. No smoke without fire
Meaning: Rumors often have some basis in fact.
In a Sentence: They say he’s corrupt, and there’s no smoke without fire.
Other Ways to Say: Rumors are usually true, truth behind gossip.
21. Under fire
Meaning: Being criticized or attacked.
In a Sentence: The company is under fire for environmental damage.
Other Ways to Say: Criticized, scrutinized.
22. Catch fire
Meaning: Suddenly become popular or successful.
In a Sentence: Her book caught fire after a celebrity mentioned it.
Other Ways to Say: Gain traction, go viral.
23. Fire up someone’s imagination
Meaning: Inspire or excite creativity.
In a Sentence: That story really fired up the kids’ imaginations.
Other Ways to Say: Spark creativity, fuel ideas.
24. In the line of fire
Meaning: Exposed to danger or criticism.
In a Sentence: As the spokesperson, she was in the line of fire.
Other Ways to Say: At risk, vulnerable.
25. Like a moth to a flame
Meaning: Attracted to something irresistible but potentially harmful.
In a Sentence: He was drawn to gambling like a moth to a flame.
Other Ways to Say: Irresistibly drawn, can’t stay away.
26. Burn with anger
Meaning: Feel extremely angry.
In a Sentence: She burned with anger when she saw the injustice.
Other Ways to Say: Seethe, boil over.
27. Fan the flames
Meaning: To make a situation worse by adding to it.
In a Sentence: His accusations only fanned the flames of the argument.
Other Ways to Say: Make worse, escalate.
28. Fire someone’s enthusiasm
Meaning: To excite or motivate someone.
In a Sentence: The project fired her enthusiasm for science.
Other Ways to Say: Ignite interest, energize.
29. Burn bridges
Meaning: To destroy relationships or opportunities.
In a Sentence: Leaving the job angrily burned bridges with the team.
Other Ways to Say: Ruin connections, end ties.
30. Go up in flames
Meaning: Fail spectacularly.
In a Sentence: The event went up in flames due to poor planning.
Other Ways to Say: Collapse, fail completely.
31. Burn the candle at both ends
Meaning: Overwork oneself.
In a Sentence: She’s burning the candle at both ends to meet the deadline.
Other Ways to Say: Overextend, exhaust oneself.
32. Set off sparks
Meaning: Create excitement or tension.
In a Sentence: Their argument set off sparks during the debate.
Other Ways to Say: Stir things up, ignite reactions.
33. Blow smoke
Meaning: Mislead or deceive.
In a Sentence: Don’t listen to him—he’s just blowing smoke.
Other Ways to Say: Mislead, exaggerate.
34. Fire sale
Meaning: A sale of goods at very low prices.
In a Sentence: The store is having a fire sale before closing.
Other Ways to Say: Clearance sale, liquidation.
35. Set fire to something
Meaning: To ignite something physically or metaphorically.
In a Sentence: Her speech set fire to the audience’s emotions.
Other Ways to Say: Spark change, ignite action.
36. Burn out
Meaning: To become exhausted or lose motivation.
In a Sentence: He burned out after months of nonstop work.
Other Ways to Say: Exhaust, fatigue.
37. Burn up
Meaning: To be very angry or to be consumed by something.
In a Sentence: I was burning up when I heard the news.
Other Ways to Say: Fume, be furious.
38. Fire in one’s eyes
Meaning: A look of strong emotion or determination.
In a Sentence: She walked in with fire in her eyes, ready to compete.
Other Ways to Say: Determined look, passionate gaze.
39. Burn with desire
Meaning: To feel a strong passion or longing.
In a Sentence: He burned with desire to make a difference.
Other Ways to Say: Long for, deeply wish.
40. Go down in flames
Meaning: To fail badly and publicly.
In a Sentence: The business plan went down in flames after funding was cut.
Other Ways to Say: Flop, crash.
41. Set the stage on fire
Meaning: To perform impressively.
In a Sentence: The dancers set the stage on fire with their energy.
Other Ways to Say: Amaze, captivate.
42. Fire and brimstone
Meaning: Intense or fierce speech or punishment.
In a Sentence: The preacher delivered a fire and brimstone sermon.
Other Ways to Say: Fierce warnings, wrathful message.
43. Stoking the fire
Meaning: Increasing intensity of something, like conflict or excitement.
In a Sentence: His comments kept stoking the fire of the protest.
Other Ways to Say: Fueling, intensifying.
44. Burn a hole in your pocket
Meaning: Feel the urge to spend money quickly.
In a Sentence: That gift card is burning a hole in his pocket.
Other Ways to Say: Eager to spend, can’t hold money.
45. Smoldering anger
Meaning: Anger that’s quietly intense.
In a Sentence: He sat in smoldering anger after the meeting.
Other Ways to Say: Repressed fury, boiling inside.
46. Put out the fire
Meaning: Solve a sudden or urgent problem.
In a Sentence: She had to put out the fire at work when the server crashed.
Other Ways to Say: Resolve crisis, handle emergency.
47. Burn for someone
Meaning: Feel deep love or passion.
In a Sentence: He still burns for her even after years apart.
Other Ways to Say: Long for, pine.
48. Too hot to handle
Meaning: Too intense or risky to deal with.
In a Sentence: That topic is too hot to handle right now.
Other Ways to Say: Controversial, dangerous.
49. All fired up
Meaning: Extremely excited or angry.
In a Sentence: She was all fired up about the new opportunity.
Other Ways to Say: Pumped, heated.
50. Trial by flame
Meaning: A metaphor for facing a harsh or intense challenge.
In a Sentence: Launching the startup was a true trial by flame.
Other Ways to Say: Baptism by fire, ultimate test.
