# catch fire

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/catch-fire
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To become engulfed in flames, to combust.

## Examples

- Be careful, or the dry leaves will catch fire.
- The old curtains were too close to the heater and started to catch fire.
- If the sparks from the furnace reach the wooden floorboards, the entire workshop could catch fire within minutes.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.