fan the flames
Intensify or stir up feelings; exacerbate an explosive situation. For example, She already found him attractive, but his letters really fanned the flames, or His speech fanned the flames of racial dissension.
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anchorite
Words nearby fan the flames
fan letter, fan magazine, fan mail, fan palm, fan roof, fan the flames, fan tracery, fan vault, fan vaulting, fan window, fan worm
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.