no smoke without fire

Register · Neutral Neutral — appropriate in most situations, both spoken and written, without sounding too casual or too stiff. CEFR B2

Post

Example

“I don't trust every detail of the rumor, but they say there's no smoke without fire.”

Dictionary details

Alternate forms

there is no smoke without fire

Component words

smoke fire

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

put out fires Informal · CEFR B1

to deal with urgent problems instead of doing planned work

fight fire with fire Neutral · CEFR B2

to counter an opponent using the same methods they use

go up in smoke Neutral · CEFR B2

be completely ruined or fail, leaving nothing of the original plan

play with fire Neutral · CEFR B2

to take a serious risk that is likely to bring harmful consequences

smoke test Neutral · CEFR B2

a quick, shallow test that checks whether a system's most basic functions work at all

cry wolf Neutral · CEFR B1

to give false warnings so often that a real warning may later be ignored

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

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