"extinguish a fire" vs "put out a fire"

Question

"extinguish a fire" vs "put out a fire"

Both phrases, 'extinguish a fire' and 'put out a fire,' are correct and commonly used in English. They are interchangeable and mean the same thing, which is to make a fire stop burning. There is no significant difference between the two phrases.

Last Updated: March 25, 2024

This phrase means to make a fire stop burning. It is often used in formal contexts or technical discussions.

Examples:

Firefighters worked tirelessly to extinguish the fire in the building.
The fire department used special equipment to extinguish the forest fire.
It took hours to extinguish the fire that had broken out in the factory.

Alternatives:

put out a fire
quench a fire
douse a fire
snuff out a fire
smother a fire

This phrase also means to make a fire stop burning. It is a more common and informal way of expressing the action of extinguishing a fire.

Examples:

The firefighters managed to put out the fire before it spread to other buildings.
He used a fire extinguisher to put out the small fire in the kitchen.
The quick response of the fire department helped to put out the wildfire.

Alternatives:

extinguish a fire
quench a fire
douse a fire
snuff out a fire
smother a fire

Answer 1

extinguish a fire

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

Answer 2

put out a fire

This phrase is correct and commonly used in English.

"extinguish a fire" vs "put out a fire"

extinguish a fire

put out a fire

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