set fire

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

British troops set fire to the White House and other public buildings in August 1814 as part of the Burning of Washington.

From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026

Soon after, Duverne tried to set fire to an emergency light in an elevator vestibule, Lalaind added.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 1, 2026

Though he landed the first of his seven Oscar nominations for the role, Mr. Duvall didn’t get to set fire to the scenery.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 16, 2026

I might just as well set fire to my money.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 23, 2025

Eventually, after the raids started, someone set fire to the building trying to cook Spam over a hall fire and me and mom were on the street.

From "The Marrow Thieves" by Cherie Dimaline