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.
You don’t want a low-quality battery that might catch fire, or a compromised or modified circuit board that bypasses normal security guards.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
The idea was liable to catch fire between us.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
On Thursday, Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps said three tankers had abandoned an attempt to pass through Hormuz after an explosion aboard one of them caused it to catch fire.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Ireland and England then each scored two second-half tries, as the encounter in front of a record crowd failed to catch fire.
From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2026
Residents were screaming and crying and carrying everything they owned to the safest place: the cemetery, which had no houses and almost no trees to catch fire.
From Full of Beans by Jennifer L. Holm
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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.
