pour gasoline on the fire

• add fuel to the fire

pour gasoline on the fire (third-person singular simple present pours gasoline on the fire, present participle pouring gasoline on the fire, simple past and past participle poured gasoline on the fire)

1. (idiomatic) To worsen a conflict between people; to inflame an already tense situation.
   • 1992, Douglas Brinkley, Dean Acheson: The Cold War Years, 1953-71, Yale University Press (1992), →ISBN, page 295:

     Instead of using the opportunity to ease the tensions between Bonn and Washington, Acheson chose to pour gasoline on the fire.

   • 2003, Dennis Piszkiewicz, Terrorism's War with America: A History, Greenwood Press (2003), →ISBN, page 39:

     The Ayatollah Khomeini poured gasoline on the fire with his comments on the mosque seizure, which were broadcast by Iranian radio the day after the attack.

   • 2008, E. L. Merkel, Virgins and Martyrs, Five Star (2008), →ISBN, page 223:

     As I waited, my silence seemed to pour gasoline on the fire of Jack Reagan's irritation.

• fan the flames
• make matters worse