spread like wildfire

present singular third person spreads like wildfire · participle present spreading like wildfire

1. intransitivesimileTo spread or disseminate rapidly or uncontrollably.

   The virus spread like wildfire throughout the Internet.

   4 more examples

   The propaganda of the rebels spread like wild-fire, and the hopes of the more daring Irish Catholics rose high.

   1789, The Gentleman's Magazine, page 651

   "We can sense the tension in Perth," wrote the Scotsman, "when the news spread like wildfire that a runaway engine of ancient vintage was heading north without a soul on the footplate.

   1941 October, “Notes and News: A Highland Runaway”, in Railway Magazine, page 469

   Inspired by Edith Piaf’s 1951 song of the same name, Padam Padam is a reference to the sound of the human heartbeat, and has spread like wildfire thanks to its infectious nature and brevity (it clocks in at 2 mins, 46 seconds).

   2023 May 31, Nadia Khomami, “Kylie Minogue ‘bursting with joy’ as new single Padam Padam soars up charts”, in The Guardian

   It became a popular garden plant in the 20th century, when a Chinese variant (Buddleia Davidii ^([sic])) was introduced. That's when the trouble started. The plant has spread like wildfire since. Its fast-growing invasive nature and survivability is a huge problem for the railways, as (left alone) it can cause serious, expensive damage to structures, block drivers sightlines, or pose a risk to lineside workers.

   2024 November 13, Paul Bigland, “Much to admire... but pockets of neglect”, in RAIL, number 1022, page 49