put out a fire
The phrase "put out a fire" can be both literal, involving extinguishing flames, and figurative, referring to solving urgent problems.
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Definition
B1Emergency Response
(literal)To extinguish flames, stopping them from burning.
Example
- Firefighters quickly arrived to put out the fire in the building.
- She used a fire extinguisher to put out the fire in the kitchen.
B2Workplace
(figurative, informal)To resolve an urgent problem, especially one caused by someone else's mistake or negligence.
Example
- The IT team had to put out a fire when the server went down unexpectedly.
- He spent the morning putting out fires after the system crash.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "put out a fire":
fight firesput outfire outsnuff outstub outstamp outtake firedraw firestomp outopen fireescape fireflame outreturn fireblow outcatch firecold firedamp downfire brigadehold firefire servicepull someone's chestnuts out of the fireback fireset on fire