fan the flames
IdiomsExample Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While urging restraint, Cepeda called on his rival not to fan the flames.
From Barron's ● Jun. 22, 2026
Others worry capping withdrawals will upset investors and fan the flames, so they paid out as much as 15%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026
Rather than fan the flames of a recently intense division rivalry, he advocated for calm.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 18, 2025
"Wildfire seasons have expanded, and fires have increased in frequency and size, especially in the western United States. More frequent and intense hurricanes fan the flames of wildfires."
From Salon ● Aug. 11, 2023
“Let it burn, let it fan the flames of your will, your determination. The movement is bigger than one man, Steven. Martin would tell you that.”
From "The Rock and the River" by Kekla Magoon
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.
