fire up
Idioms-
Inflame with enthusiasm, anger, or another strong emotion, as in Her speech fired up the crowd in favor of her proposals . This expression dates from the early 1800s, when it referred literally to starting a fire in a furnace or boiler; its figurative use dates from the late 1800s.
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Light a pipe, cigar, or cigarette, as in Do you mind if I fire up? [Late 1800s] A more common term, however, is light up , def. 2.
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Start the ignition of an engine, as in Whenever he tried to fire up the motor, it stalled . [Mid-1900s]
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.
This July 4, millions of Americans will fire up their grills and cook plenty of burgers and steaks.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
Dying to buy a Nintendo Switch 2 console and fire up the new “Legends of Zelda” game?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 2026
Harris, who moved from Las Vegas to Costa Rica a little over a year ago, said the first thing she does every day is fire up the livestream on YouTube.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026
You might go out to work and let the house cool down; then return home and fire up the furnace.
From BBC ● Mar. 22, 2026
Unlike military pistols that could fire up to six rounds before reloading, the Deringer could be fired just once.
From "Chasing Lincoln's Killer" by James L. Swanson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
