flame war

noun

1. Computer Slang.,  a series of angry, critical, or disparaging comments exchanged by two or more people in an ongoing online argument.

Word History and Origins

Origin of flame war¹

First recorded in 1985–90

Example Sentences

When Neera Tanden, a liberal think-tank leader and prolific presence on social media, suggested there might be a connection between the blaze and Miller’s hate-filled rhetoric, Dhillon responded like a juvenile in a flame war.

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In the years after, she continued to struggle with mental health issues, admitting to issues with addiction and eating disorders, and indulged the occasional flame war with a commenter, all for the consumption of a shrinking audience.

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For the most part, DeSantis has resisted in engaging in a flame war with Trump, although holding his retreat a stone’s throw from Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate likely won’t go unnoticed by the former president.

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Amid all the Sturm und Drang — a world champion losing a game and quitting the tournament after just three rounds; a voluble rising American star now shadowed by accusations of cheating at the highest level; rule changes that strongly implied something fishy was going on; even a social media flame war over weird accents — they did manage to play the 9th Sinquefield Cup and produce an over-the-board winner.

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Michael Gerson’s June 28 op-ed, “Abortion calls for a sober debate, not a flame war,” was the most fair and balanced essay on Roe v.

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