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.
Brazilian rookie Caio Collet had smashed the right side of his machine into the wall, ripping off two wheels and causing it to catch fire.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 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 not like “Sue me” is a “Million Dollar Baby,” Tommy Richman-style viral hit, but it did catch fire and that felt great.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 1, 2025
Their cars were new and didn’t catch fire.
From "Class Matters" by The New York Times
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.
