rediscover fire
To relearn fundamental concepts, principles or practices that had been previously well known and widely practiced at a prior time in human society.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“They are trying to rediscover fire with these old farming methods.”
“The team ignored years of research and had to rediscover fire to solve the basic problem.”
“By discarding the established safety protocols, the engineers were forced to rediscover fire, learning through painful trial and error what their predecessors had mastered decades ago.”
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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
escape fire
An unconventional or counterintuitive solution to a difficult problem.
- 06
feed the fire
Synonym of add fuel to the fire.
- 07
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).
- 08
fight fires
To deal with urgent matters and minor emergencies rather than longer-term work.
Last updated August 10, 2026