SCORCH Synonyms: 53 Similar and Opposite Words

scorch

verb

ˈskȯrch

as in to char

to burn on the surface the picnickers kept scorching their marshmallows, deliberately sticking their skewers into the licking flames of the campfire

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to dry

to make dry weeks of drought had badly scorched the soil

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of scorch Wildfires have prompted evacuations and scorched more than 500,000 acres (202,340 hectares). —

Bloomberg, Mercury News, 16 Mar. 2026 The death of a star is usually thought to be a violent and hostile place, filled with scorching radiation that destroys fragile molecules. —

Rupendra Brahambhatt, Interesting Engineering, 15 Mar. 2026 Easter cactus likes bright, indirect light, not direct sunlight, which can scorch the foliage. —

Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 15 Mar. 2026 His skin, meanwhile, is scorched and smoking in the sunlight. —

Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 12 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for scorch

Recent Examples of Synonyms for scorch

Verb

Sauté them in butter or olive oil and pile onto toast, fold them into savory ramp biscuits or other baked goods, or grill them until soft and lightly charred to serve alongside meat or fish.

— Kelly Vaughan, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026
As of Monday morning, the 24 fire near Fort Carson had charred 7,385 acres in Fremont and El Paso counties with no containment, according to the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office.

— Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 23 Mar. 2026