firebreak
Americannoun
noun
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Also: fireguard, fire line. a strip of open land in a forest or on a prairie, to arrest the advance of a fire
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a measure taken to arrest the advance of anything dangerous or harmful
Etymology
Origin of firebreak
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.
Farmers in the area tried to use tractors to make a firebreak to halt the spread of the blaze.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
French firefighters were "on the offensive" insisted commander Eric Pitault, standing in the middle of a 50-metre-wide, 25-kilometre-long firebreak cut with the help of civilian volunteers on the Cap Ferret peninsula.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
But, in a letter to the chair of Parliament's Transport Committee, Ruth Cadbury, Larkinson said the facts which later came to light meant the slot could no longer be considered an effective firebreak.
From BBC ● Jan. 21, 2026
Ota testified he wasn’t concerned about covering up the firebreak as there was already live brush on each side.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 27, 2025
But behind it, there’s a clear-cut where they put in a firebreak to protect the houses.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
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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.
