burn up
phrasal verb
burned up or burnt up; burning up; burns up
: to be destroyed or cause (something) to be destroyed by fire
Most asteroids burn up upon entering the Earth's atmosphere.
Wildfires have been raging across the region burning up acres of forest.
Do we still need these old receipts? No, burn them up.
Examples of burn up in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
During that time, particles cast off from that ancient body collide with our planet at speeds of up to 41 miles per second (66 kilometers per second), burning up in a magnificent display as they're overwhelmed by the friction of atmospheric entry.
—
Anthony Wood, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Most Orionids are the size of a grain of sand and burn up in the atmosphere and never hit the ground.
—Dean Regas, Cincinnati Enquirer, 17 Oct. 2025
After deploying mock Starlink internet satellites expected to burn up in the atmosphere, the upper stage is intended to land in the Indian Ocean.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
Most of these satellites have a lifespan of around five years and are designed to completely burn up in the atmosphere before reaching the surface.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for burn up
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Anthony Wood, Space.com, 20 Oct. 2025
Most Orionids are the size of a grain of sand and burn up in the atmosphere and never hit the ground.
—Dean Regas, Cincinnati Enquirer, 17 Oct. 2025
After deploying mock Starlink internet satellites expected to burn up in the atmosphere, the upper stage is intended to land in the Indian Ocean.
—Eric Lagatta, USA Today, 13 Oct. 2025
Most of these satellites have a lifespan of around five years and are designed to completely burn up in the atmosphere before reaching the surface.
—Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for burn up
Cite this Entry
“Burn up.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burn%20up. Accessed 21 Oct. 2025.
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