How to Use firefly in a Sentence

firefly

noun
Definition of fireflynext
  • Exodus became a dangerous trail of taillights flickering through the dust like fading fireflies, and camps across the playa feared they’d be stuck breaking down until the end of the week.
    — Morena Duwe, Los Angeles Times, 9 Sep. 2024
  • Second, there is a bright light bulb [the white dwarf] next to the firefly.
    — National Geographic, 7 June 2017
  • But how many people know what puts the fire in the firefly?
    — Jason Bittel, Washington Post, 25 Aug. 2020
  • The sun fades as the tour winds on, prompting a swirl of fireflies to light their lamps.
    — Max Falkowitz, New York Times, 26 June 2019
  • The stars were brilliant like a blizzard of fireflies in the night.
    — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, 6 Dec. 2018
  • Some, from the West Coast, are awaiting the first firefly sighting of their lives.
    — Leigh Ann Henion, Washington Post, 7 Sep. 2021
  • One of the biggest threats to fireflies is habitat loss.
    — Rebecca Straus, Good Housekeeping, 19 July 2018
  • Start at dusk in June to see big dipper fireflies and the pink mountains.
    — Kathryn O’Shea-Evans, WSJ, 12 Apr. 2018
  • These glowing bugs tend to be called fireflies in the South and lightning bugs in the Midwest.
    — Kathryn Prociv, Washington Post, 22 June 2018
  • There’s a chance that this sharp decrease in firefly tourism might be good for the beetles.
    — Nora McGreevy, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 June 2020
  • The group followed the fireflies for almost two hours, weaving in and out of the darkness.
    — Julia Lyon, Washington Post, 22 June 2024
  • Designed to move with the wind, the lights resemble fireflies flitting around in the dark.
    — Amanda Oliver, Peoplemag, 4 June 2023
  • This is akin to how a firefly or a glow-stick generates its light.
    — Kevin Davenport, idahostatesman, 3 July 2018
  • The females of one firefly species have earned the nickname femme fatales.
    — Sarah Bowman, The Indianapolis Star, 29 June 2022
  • Pull out the water skis, the fishing poles, the skateboards, the boats, the ball and glove, the little glass jar with holes poked in the lid for catching fireflies.
    — Randy Blaser, chicagotribune.com, 6 June 2019
  • Some of them have been to the firefly viewing several times.
    — Leigh Ann Henion, Washington Post, 7 Sep. 2021
  • One Paseo will be shimmering with firefly lights in the trees and festive decor.
    — The San Diego Union-Tribune Staff, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Nov. 2023
  • Plant Native Pine Trees One of the biggest threats to fireflies is habitat loss.
    — Rebecca Straus, Good Housekeeping, 9 June 2016
  • Astronomers working on the problem liken it to trying to spot a firefly perched on the edge of a searchlight.
    — Corey S Powell, Discover Magazine, 7 Oct. 2015
  • At the touch of a single fingertip, her nerves light like fireflies.
    — Barry Pearce, chicagotribune.com, 20 July 2019
  • The center will be shimmering with firefly lights in the trees and festive decor.
    — Linda McIntosh, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Nov. 2023
  • This salad is just the thing to eat on a warm summer evening as dusk turns to dark, fireflies twinkling in the distance.
    — G. Daniela Galarza, Washington Post, 13 July 2023
  • Imagine a firefly moving from one side of a U.S. quarter to the other side.
    — National Geographic, 7 June 2017
  • My grandmother used to say a firefly in the house meant someone was going to die.
    — Karen Brown, The Atlantic, 31 Aug. 2021
  • The firefly and bacterial genes just didn’t work well in plants.
    — WIRED, 19 Sep. 2023
  • That’s why each type of firefly has its own unique flash color and/or pattern.
    — Bob Hirshon, Discover Magazine, 6 June 2024
  • As dusk fell in the garden, dozens of winking fireflies appeared.
    — Jacey Fortin Mike Belleme, New York Times, 21 Oct. 2023
  • Or wait till sunset to watch the sky ignite with color as the city lights flicker on like fireflies.
    — Andrea Sachs, Washington Post, 11 Dec. 2019
  • Like fireflies, 1,203 red lights beamed around Maples Pavilion.
    — Danny Emerman, The Mercury News, 22 Jan. 2024
  • No such creature exists in nature, but there are indeed creatures that glow (fireflies and some fish).
    — Laurie Garrett, Foreign Affairs, 1 Nov. 2013

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'firefly.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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