escape fire
An unconventional or counterintuitive solution to a difficult problem.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“Using a controlled fire to escape fire is a clever trick.”
“The manager used an escape fire strategy by letting the team work from home to solve the office productivity crisis.”
“Faced with an impossible deadline, the architect employed an escape fire approach, intentionally simplifying the design to ensure the project's ultimate survival.”
- 01
add fuel to the fire
To worsen a conflict between people; to inflame an already tense situation.
- 02
ball of fire
A person who is especially active, ambitious, hard-working, or high-achieving.
- 03
catch fire
To become engulfed in flames, to combust.
- 04
draw fire
To create a distraction that allows one's friends, co-workers, or other associates to gain an advantage over the distracted party.
- 05
feed the fire
Synonym of add fuel to the fire.
- 06
fight fire with fire
To respond to an attack with a similar or identical counter-attack (e.g. to respond to gunfire with reciprocal gunfire).
- 07
fight fires
To deal with urgent matters and minor emergencies rather than longer-term work.
- 08
fire drill
Any pointless, unproductive, useless, or chaotic activity.
Last updated August 10, 2026