catch fire
Idioms-
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]
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.
He and thousands of others were ready to roll the dice, and meanwhile, Raman began to catch fire with young progressives who were voting for her rather than against Bass.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 5, 2026
The idea was liable to catch fire between us.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
In conventional battery packs, when one cell overheats and catches fire, it can cause all those around it to also catch fire.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
"These things, when they catch fire, they go - they really go - they are big, big issues and big fires," he added, although cabin crew are trained on how to deal with it.
From BBC ● May 25, 2026
Every day, he woke up wondering if the stick would somehow catch fire and burn, and he would cease to exist.
From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
