flame war
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of flame war
First recorded in 1985–90
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.
An online flame war soon erupted over one of the most explosive allegations in L.A.:
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
The subreddit itself was born out of an escalating flame war.
From Slate ● Mar. 13, 2019
Just as important: Okja is a masterpiece that could draw a flame war, and has.
From The Verge ● Jun. 26, 2017
Of course, there are many ways to ruin your health with a laptop — like engaging in a flame war on Facebook at 4 in the morning.
From New York Times ● Sep. 17, 2016
Some subthreads will actually be in response to some off-the-cuff side comment, possibly degenerating into a flame war, or just as often evolving into a separate discussion.
From The Jargon File, Version 4.2.2, 20 Aug 2000 by Guy L. Steele
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