burn off

verb

|Updated on: 11 Jun 2018

Definition of burn off

intransitive verb

: to be dissipated by the sun's warmth

waiting for the fog to burn off

transitive verb

: to cause to burn off

Recent Examples of burn off from the Web

Only 17 of the bodies recovered so far have been identified due to the extreme heat that charred their features and burned off fingerprints, and authorities hope other means such as DNA testing can help.

— Washington Post, "‘Nobody is left’: Guatemala volcano ravaged entire families," 5 June 2018
The ship had caught fire and burned off Baja California on May 18, 1964, killing ten.

— sandiegouniontribune.com, "May 28, 1964: Ship aground on Silver Strand," 28 May 2018
On a recording of a 999 call made by a neighbor, Van Dongen can be heard calling for help as the acid burns off his skin, according to ITV News.

— harriet sokmensuer, PEOPLE.com, "Jealous Woman Who Disfigured Ex With Acid, Leading Him to Euthanasia, Gets Life in Prison," 25 May 2018
As the sun burned off the marine layer of clouds over the orchard, Sayer patiently laid out the reasoning that led him to plant avocado trees.

— nathanael johnson, WIRED, "Are Avocados Toast?," 24 May 2018
The system is designed to capture and burn off 90 to 95 percent of landfill gases, officials have said.

— jesse leavenworth, Courant Community, "Work At Manchester Dump Meant To Curb Stink," 11 May 2018
There will also be a play area for children to enjoy the festivities and burn off energy, as well as interactive games on Saturday.

— austen erblat, Sun-Sentinel.com, "Seafood festival moves to Royal Palm Beach Commons Park," 4 May 2018
Monday’s burn was actually taking a page out of the traditional practices of Native Americans, who regularly started fires to keep grasslands clear and burn off the forest undergrowth.

— gregory b. hladky, courant.com, "Connecticut's Environmental Agency Conducts Controlled State Burn In Tunxis State Forest," 23 Apr. 2018
The nation's largest energy company said its goals include reducing its natural gas flaring - the burning off of excess gas and its components - by 25 percent during the same timeframe.

— jordan blum, Houston Chronicle, "Exxon Mobil commits to methane emission reductions," 23 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'burn off.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.