fan the flames
US /fæn ðə fleɪmz/
UK /fæn ðə fleɪmz/
1.
火上浇油, 煽风点火
to make a bad situation worse; to intensify a conflict or negative emotion
:
•
His comments only served to fan the flames of the argument.
他的评论只会火上浇油，让争论更加激烈。
•
The media coverage helped to fan the flames of public anger.
媒体报道助长了公众的怒火，火上浇油。