Add fuel to the fire

Add fuel to the fire (or flames)

Meaning

Make a bad situation even worse than it is.

Examples

Going into that race riot and telling them to get back to Africa was really adding fuel to the fire.

Where did it originate?

The United Kingdom – 17th century.

Where is it used?

Worldwide.

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About the Author

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.