combust

verb

com·​bust kəm-ˈbəst 

combusted; combusting; combusts

: burn

Synonyms

• blaze
• burn
• flame
• glow

Examples of combust in a Sentence

anthracite, which is naturally hard, combusts more cleanly than bituminous coal

Recent Examples on the Web

Trump has kept a low profile as Democrats combust over Biden’s debate performance. —Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 9 July 2024

By the end of November, leadership choices, bureaucratic incentives, and a series of tragedies converged and combusted in ways Xi did not intend. —Yuen Yuen Ang, Foreign Affairs, 2 Dec. 2022

The batteries that tend to combust are after-market items e-bike users buy online or in scooter stores as supplements or replacements for the battery that came with the device, said FDNY officials. —Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 28 June 2024

This phenomenon is likely contributing to desert fires around Phoenix this season, amid fuels ready to combust. —Hayleigh Evans, The Arizona Republic, 7 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

derivative of earlier combust, combusted "burned, consumed," going back to Middle English combust, borrowed from Latin combustus, past participle of combūrere "to destroy with fire, reduce to ashes, calcine," from com- com- + ūrere "to expose to fire, burn, scorch" (with -b- from ambūrere "to burn around, scorch," falsely parsed as am- + būrere) — more at adust

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

combust

verb

com·​bust kəm-ˈbəst 

: to be or set on fire : burn