ENGLISH
REFERENCE

shout fire in a crowded theater

idiom
Meaning

To say something which is not protected by the First Amendment's right to freedom of speech because it would incite violence, panic or lawlessness.


Examples
SIMPLE

You cannot shout fire in a crowded theater just for fun.

CONTEXTUAL

The judge explained that free speech has limits, such as when you shout fire in a crowded theater and cause a dangerous panic.

COMPLEX

Legal scholars often cite the example of someone who chooses to shout fire in a crowded theater to illustrate why certain forms of speech are not protected by law.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    add fuel to the fire

    To worsen a conflict between people; to inflame an already tense situation.

  2. 02

    ball of fire

    A person who is especially active, ambitious, hard-working, or high-achieving.

  3. 03

    catch fire

    To become engulfed in flames, to combust.

  4. 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.

  5. 05

    escape fire

    An unconventional or counterintuitive solution to a difficult problem.

  6. 06

    feed the fire

    Synonym of add fuel to the fire.

  7. 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).

  8. 08

    fire drill

    Any pointless, unproductive, useless, or chaotic activity.

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