burn down

phrasal verb

burned down or burnt down; burning down; burns down

1

of a building or other structure : to be destroyed by fire

The hotel burned down in 1922.

2

of a fire : to become smaller : to gradually produce less and less flame

We watched the fire as it slowly burned down.

3

: to destroy (something) by fire

Vandals burned down the school.

burned it down

Examples of burn down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The e-bikes were used as the getaway vehicles in a near-fatal arson case in July 2024 that burned down a barn full of teenagers. —Stephanie Murray, AZCentral.com, 8 Dec. 2025

Although the angry mob that burns down the Black Spot certainly intends to find and lynch Hank, there’s something oddly sanitized about how the series depicts these events. —Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 8 Dec. 2025

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also reposted it, generating both excitement and online attacks, including threats to burn down the business and kill its outspoken owner. —Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 7 Dec. 2025

The wood-frame building opened in 1952, replacing a previous structure that had burned down. —Tom Olsen, Twin Cities, 4 Dec. 2025

Rhymes for burn down

• adown
• blowdown
• breakdown
• countdown
• crackdown
• crosstown
• downtown
• drawdown
• dropdown
• facedown
• godown
• hometown