ball of fire
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of ball of fire
First recorded in 1815–25
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 selloff came after a Blue Origin New Glenn rocket exploded on its launchpad in Cape Canaveral, Fla., sending a ball of fire into the sky.
From Barron's ● May 29, 2026
A rocket being tested by Jeff Bezos’ space company exploded Thursday night, sending an enormous ball of fire into the sky.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
We also didn’t want to wait too long, get stuck in traffic, and abandon our Mazda on the side of the road as we had to outrun a ball of fire on foot.
From Slate ● Jan. 9, 2025
Prof Ramesh says when we look at the Sun from the Earth, we see an orange ball of fire which is the photosphere - the Sun's surface or the brightest part of the star.
From BBC ● Nov. 26, 2024
One of the figure’s hands was reaching up, holding a ball of fire, as if it were stealing the flames from above, and the other hand projected light, like it was a film.
From "The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick
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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.