start a fire
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The submarine vanished on November 15, 2017 after reporting that seawater had entered the ventilation system, causing a battery on the vessel to short-circuit and start a fire.
From Barron's • Mar. 4, 2026
“Now everything is so wet it is hard to even start a fire with wood,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 13, 2025
"We get wood, start a fire, make dough, put it into portions, let it rise. This is what we're doing now. This process takes at least three hours," she says.
From BBC • Feb. 27, 2024
Not only are more homes at risk from wildland fires; these environments now have more residents who might start a fire.
From Scientific American • Nov. 9, 2023
Crawling out on the ledge, my hands trembling, I lay a small pile of pine needles and twigs, then, taking out my flint and steel, strike a spark and start a fire.
From "On the Far Side of the Mountain" by Jean Craighead George
