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

Exposure to salt water can also lead to battery failure and potentially start a fire.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 11, 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

He tried to start a fire but the empty chip bags just smoked and shriveled up.

From "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone" by J.K. Rowling