brushfire

1 of 2

adjective

brush·​fire ˈbrəsh-ˌfī(-ə)r How to pronounce brushfire (audio)
Synonyms of brushfirenext
: 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
Nevada State Police A fast-moving brush fire that kicked up on a hillside in Northern Nevada just outside Reno on Saturday has exploded to more than 10,000 acres, threatening hundreds of homes. — Jenna Harrison, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026 Two hundred firefighters planned to work through the night battling a brush fire in Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve that ignited Sunday, prompting warnings to hundreds of residents in the area, before crews halted the fire’s progress. — Karen Kucher, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 Aug. 2026 Just two days later, on July 8, 2025, several brush fires were ignited near his apartment complex — collectively dubbed the Copper River/Meenach Fires by investigators. — Cindy Von Quednow, CNN Money, 10 Aug. 2026 Los Angeles County firefighters have fully contained a brush fire that was burning in the hills above the Newhall Pass in Santa Clarita. — Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 9 Aug. 2026 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

Rhymes for brushfire

See All Rhymes for brushfire

Browse Nearby Words

brusher
brushfire
brush fire
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Brushfire.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brushfire. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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