catch fire
Idioms-
Be ignited, as in This wood is dry enough to catch fire . [c. 1600] Also see set on fire .
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Become inflamed with enthusiasm or passion, as in His ideas caught fire all over the country . [Early 1700s]
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.
All lithium batteries can uncontrollably heat and catch fire through a chemical chain reaction known as thermal runaway.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026
According to state news agency TASS, the targeted patrol car was heavily damaged but did not catch fire.
From Barron's • Feb. 23, 2026
The U.S. jobs market took a sharp turn for the worse in 2025, and it doesn’t look like hiring will catch fire in the new year.
From MarketWatch • Dec. 20, 2025
"It's about understanding that if you've got yourselves a disposable barbecue make sure that you're putting down slabs, so that it doesn't burn down to the grass and catch fire."
From BBC • Aug. 30, 2025
Moreover, unlike Willie-Jay, he was not critical of Perry’s exotic aspirations; he was willing to listen, catch fire, share with him those visions of “guaranteed treasure” lurking in Mexican seas, Brazilian jungles.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
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.
