set the world on fire
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
To achieve great success or cause a sensation
Literally: to ignite the world
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
The Beatles set the world on fire with their incredible music.The Beatles nhấn chìm cả thế giới trong biển lửa với thứ âm nhạc tuyệt vời của họ.
Tatoeba sentence #34860 (CC BY 2.0 FR, tatoeba.org, retrieved 2026-07-31)
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-31; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “set the world on fire” mean?
To achieve great success or cause a sensation Literally: to ignite the world
Is “set the world on fire” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.