: a combustible heap for burning a dead body as a funeral rite
broadly
: a pile of material to be burned
a pyre of dead leaves
Examples of pyre in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Then, a volunteer lit the pyre, and flecks of ashes swirled in the air.
—
Sui-Lee Wee, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
They may have been included in a funerary pyre, though researchers didn’t find any human remains.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025
Many of the items had been burned, suggesting that they might have been torched upon a funeral pyre, but no human remains were found amid the assemblage.
—News Desk, Artforum, 26 Mar. 2025
It is thought the objects could have been burnt on a funerary pyre before they were buried, but no human remains have been found.
—Lianne Kolirin, CNN, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pyre
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Sui-Lee Wee, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025
They may have been included in a funerary pyre, though researchers didn’t find any human remains.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 26 Mar. 2025
Many of the items had been burned, suggesting that they might have been torched upon a funeral pyre, but no human remains were found amid the assemblage.
—News Desk, Artforum, 26 Mar. 2025
It is thought the objects could have been burnt on a funerary pyre before they were buried, but no human remains have been found.
—Lianne Kolirin, CNN, 25 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pyre
Cite this Entry
“Pyre.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pyre. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
pyre
noun
: a heap of wood for burning a dead body
also
: a pile of material to be burned
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