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fire drill
noun
: a practice drill in extinguishing fires or in the conduct and manner of exit in case of fire
Examples of fire drill in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Sabotaging tactics of the ego include boredom, burnout, lack of engagement, poor communication, micromanagement and fire drills.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes, 20 Feb. 2024
The campus was busy with lots of meetings and a fire drill.
—USA TODAY, 13 Feb. 2024
Have a home fire escape plan and practice at-home fire drills.
—Makiya Seminera, Miami Herald, 19 Feb. 2024
Taiwan’s military carried out live fire drills on the island’s southern coast on Monday, firing missiles from armored cars to destroy targets close to shore in a simulation of repelling invading forces.
—Sha Hua, WSJ, 7 July 2023
At school, in the 1980s, Moss and his classmates participated in rapture drills, akin to earthquake or fire drills.
—Emma Goldberg Desiree Rios, New York Times, 21 Jan. 2024
In an attempt to protect students, active shooter drills have become as normal as the fire drills many parents remember going through as school children.
—Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 8 Dec. 2023
Other failures included not having a night watchman or roving patrol on the boat and failing to conduct sufficient fire drills as required by law.
—Kirsty Hatcher, Peoplemag, 7 Nov. 2023
After the fire, New York began requiring automatic sprinklers in tall buildings and fire drills in large workplaces.
—Lola Fadulu, New York Times, 11 Oct. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'fire drill.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1861, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near fire drill
Cite this Entry
“Fire drill.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fire%20drill. Accessed 10 Jun. 2024.
Kids Definition
fire drill
noun
: a practice drill in putting out fires or in getting out of a building in case of fire
More from Merriam-Webster on fire drill
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about fire drill
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