catch fire

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See synonyms for catch fire on Thesaurus.com

Be ignited, as in This wood is dry enough to catch fire. [c. 1600] Also see set on fire.

Become inflamed with enthusiasm or passion, as in His ideas caught fire all over the country. [Early 1700s]

QUIZ

ARE YOU A TRUE BLUE CHAMPION OF THESE "BLUE" SYNONYMS?

We could talk until we're blue in the face about this quiz on words for the color "blue," but we think you should take the quiz and find out if you're a whiz at these colorful terms.

Question 1 of 8

Which of the following words describes “sky blue”?

navy

beryl

azure

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

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Words nearby catch fire

catch crop, catchcry, catch dog, catcher, catcher's box, catch fire, catchfly, catching, catching pen, catch in the act, catch it

How to use catch fire in a sentence

But what is there more irresponsible than playing with the fire of an imagined civil war in the France of today?
Houellebecq’s Incendiary Novel Imagines France With a Muslim President|Pierre Assouline|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
They all immediately dashed out to their car to catch the bad guys.
Shot Down During the NYPD Slowdown|Michael Daly|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
The cameraman was reporting on the factory catching fire when the inevitable happened.
Fireworks Factory Explodes in Colorful Burst|The Daily Beast Video|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST
“The government just wanted to catch the big fish [in the Juarez cartel] and they ignored everything in between,” Lozoya said.
An Informant, a Missing American, and Juarez’s House of Death: Inside the 12-Year Cold Case of David Castro|Bill Conroy|January 6, 2015|DAILY BEAST

Lady Edith is so sad that her sadness nearly set the whole damned house on fire.
‘Downton Abbey’ Review: A Fire, Some Sex, and Sad, Sad Edith|Kevin Fallon|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
"A camp-fire would hardly flash and die out like that, Sarge," he answered thoughtfully.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
She got up and stood in front of the fire, having her hand on the chimney-piece and looking down at the blaze.
Confidence|Henry James
The fire had been heaped over with earth—to screen it from prying eyes, I suppose, while the good work went on.
Raw Gold|Bertrand W. Sinclair
But, as the keel of the boats touched bottom, each boat-load dashed into the water and then into the enemy's fire.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I|Ian Hamilton
The men, whose poniards his sword parried, had recourse to fire-arms, and two pistols were fired at him.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter

catch fire

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How to use catch fire in a sentence