# go up in flames

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/go-up-in-flames
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To catch fire.

## Examples

- The old wooden shed went up in flames during the storm.
- The kitchen was a disaster when the curtains caught a spark and went up in flames.
- The entire factory went up in flames after the electrical fire spread through the storage room.

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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.