Compound words with FIRE

FIRE is a hinge word: 5 words make a compound in front of it and 15 make one after it, so it can sit in the middle of a chain and hold two compounds together at once.

Words that go in front of FIRE

Each of these makes a compound ending in FIRE.

• backfire — back + fire
• campfire — camp + fire
• crossfire — cross + fire
• gunfire — gun + fire
• wildfire — wild + fire

Words that follow FIRE

Each of these makes a compound starting with FIRE.

• firearm — fire + arm
• firearms — fire + arms
• fireball — fire + ball
• firefighter — fire + fighter
• firefly — fire + fly
• firehouse — fire + house
• fireman — fire + man
• firemen — fire + men
• fireplace — fire + place
• firepower — fire + power
• fireproof — fire + proof
• fireside — fire + side
• firewall — fire + wall
• firewood — fire + wood
• firework — fire + work

Why FIRE joins on both sides

FIRE is a concrete noun that is also a verb, which doubles its reach. CAMPFIRE and GUNFIRE are kinds of burning or firing, FIREPLACE and FIREHOUSE are places, and a FIREARM is the thing that does the firing.

Bridges you can build through FIRE

Put any word from the first list in front and any word from the second behind, and you have a three-word chain in which both neighbouring pairs join. Here are some of them.

• BACK → FIRE → ARM — backfire and firearm
• CAMP → FIRE → ARMS — campfire and firearms
• CROSS → FIRE → BALL — crossfire and fireball
• GUN → FIRE → FIGHTER — gunfire and firefighter
• WILD → FIRE → FLY — wildfire and firefly

Play a bridge

KEYSTONE is a free daily puzzle built entirely out of chains like these. You get the two ends and have to fill the two words in the middle. Three bridges a day, no account, no cookies.

Play today's KEYSTONE

Other hinge words

Each of these has a page like this one. There is also an index of all 28.

BACK · BALL · BED · BOARD · BOOK · BREAK · DAY · DOWN · FALL · GUN · HAND · HEAD · HOUSE · LAND · LIFE · LIGHT · MAN · NIGHT · OFF · OUT · OVER · SHIP · SIDE · SOME · TIME · WAY · WORK