firing 1 of 2

noun

ˈfī-riŋ How to pronounce firing (audio)
Definition of firingnext
as in blasting
a directed propelling of a missile by a firearm or artillery piece found a flaw in the gun's firing

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firing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of fire
1
as in shooting
to cause (a projectile) to be driven forward with force police officers firing rubber bullets

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2
as in discharging
to cause a weapon to release a missile with great force soldiers fired at the enemy in panic-stricken disorder

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3
as in stimulating
to give life, vigor, or spirit to a school outing to the natural history museum fired his imagination, and he grew up to become an eminent paleontologist

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in sacking
to let go from office, service, or employment fired the secretary for incompetence

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
5
as in throwing
to send through the air especially with a quick forward motion of the arm fired a pass to the running back

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6
as in burning
to set (something) on fire lit some kindling before attempting to fire the logs

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of firing
Noun
But Wolfkiel still worries about how the CDC firings and the impasse over federal funding will affect brain injury research and prevention efforts in the long term. — Lydia McFarlane, NPR, 25 Aug. 2026 Be ready for the firing of the cannons each time the Bucs score. — Susan B. Barnes, Southern Living, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
But, given that the Republicans now control both houses of Congress and the Presidency, curbing Trump might require firing that torpedo. — Daniel Immerwahr, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 The scale of this reliance was particularly evident during the 2022 fighting in the Donbas region, when Russian forces were firing approximately 20,000 artillery rounds per day, with peak rates exceeding 32,000 rounds on some days. — Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for firing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for firing
  1. blasting
  2. shooting
  3. stimulating
  4. sacking
  5. throwing
  6. burning
  7. bombardment
  8. launching
Noun
  • Project Director Kurt Kionka CBS While construction will continue for several more years, transportation officials say motorists should begin seeing fewer traffic disruptions now that the most intensive blasting work is finished.
    — Kelly Werthmann, CBS News, 30 July 2026
  • That could simplify collection of an initial bulk sample without extensive drilling or blasting.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 24 July 2026
Definition of blasting
Verb
  • Carly keeps taking her new passion further, apparently spending all her tuition money on shooting a music video and renting a venue for a live performance plus merch and catering.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • That news came the same week that ICE agent Christian Castro, who was charged with shooting a man and lying about it during the immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, was released from a Texas jail.
    — Carlos De Loera, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of shooting
Verb
  • While stimulating a fresh sense of observation, Selwyn also wanted to counter some myths about museums.
    — Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 24 Aug. 2026
  • But now this new syndrome, Alpha-gal syndrome, is stimulating communities to say, 'Enough is enough.
    — David Pogue, CBS News, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of stimulating
Verb
  • Whereas owners previously diffused negative situations by sacking a head coach, changing a sporting director or someone prominent within the department can now have a similar effect.
    — Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The museum replaced him with Sasha Suda, hiring her away from the National Gallery of Canada before sacking her following a disastrous rebrand and replacing her with Weiss, a former president of New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 29 July 2026
Definition of sacking
Verb
  • Right now the only person who likes Heather is Carmella, and that’s because Heather is throwing some work Carmella’s way and trying to find a law school apartment for her daughter Cat.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Next happiest to see someone of Murray’s throwing and scrambling ability would be a defense tired of getting short breaks from an offense ranked last in third-down conversions.
    — David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of throwing
Verb
  • The Ross Fire burning west of Fort Worth in Palo Pinto County appears to be holding steady at around 85,000 acres and 26% containment Friday, according to Texas A&M Forest Service officials.
    — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Planet-heating emissions from burning fossil fuels such as oil, gas and coal are the primary driver of climate change.
    — Ava Berger, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of burning
Noun
  • The Russian leader might try to overwhelm Ukraine this winter with a massive bombardment campaign aimed at destroying its energy grid.
    — Thomas Wright, The Atlantic, 26 Aug. 2026
  • The government has been carrying out a counteroffensive since January, with aerial bombardments and ground assaults, despite an official commitment to the peace agreement.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of bombardment
Verb
  • Tod’s is getting ahead of the game, launching Digital Product Passports on its website with the help of Renoon, which is specializing in helping companies meet upcoming regulatory requirements.
    — Evan Clark, Footwear News, 28 Aug. 2026
  • If approved, the city could start a public outreach campaign at the start of next year with the program launching in March 2027.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of launching

Browse Nearby Words

fireworks
firing
firing (at)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Firing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/firing. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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