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Add Fuel to the Fire

What Does "Add Fuel to the Fire" Mean?

homeidiomsAdd Fuel to the Fire
"Add fuel to the fire" is an English idiom. It means "to worsen an already bad situation."

Examples in Sentences

Here are three examples of the idiom "add fuel to the fire" used in a sentence:
  • By shouting, you're just adding fuel to the fire.
  • Bringing up past mistakes now would just add fuel to the fire.
  • He knew that mentioning the past would add fuel to the fire.
meaning for add fuel to the fire

What Is an Idiom?

An idiom is a commonly used expression whose meaning does not relate to the literal meaning of its words. In other words, if you were to translate "Add Fuel to the Fire" word for word, there is no guarantee the translation would help you to understand the meaning.

An idiom often includes a cultural or historical context that makes it difficult for non-native English speakers to understand. A phrase is classified as an idiom when a direct translation of the words does not reveal the meaning. Most idioms rely on shared knowledge or experiences known only to a specific community.

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