SINCE 1828
scorch
verb (1)
\ ˈskȯrch
\
\
scorched;
scorching;
scorches
Definition of scorch
(Entry 1 of 3)
1
: to burn a surface of so as to change its color and texture
2a
: to dry or shrivel with or as if with intense heat : parch
b
: to afflict painfully with censure or sarcasm
3
: devastate
especially
: to destroy (something, such as property of possible use to an advancing enemy) before abandoning
—used in the phrase scorched earth
1
: to become scorched
2
: to travel at great and usually excessive speed
3
: to cause intense heat or mental anguish
scorching sun scorching fury
scorch
nounDefinition of scorch (Entry 2 of 3)
1
: a result of scorching
2
: a browning of plant tissues usually from disease or heat
scorch
verb (2)
scorched;
scorching;
scorches
Definition of scorch (Entry 3 of 3)
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Other Words from scorch
Verb (1)
scorchingly
\ ˈskȯr-chiŋ-lē
\
adverb
\
adverb
Examples of scorch in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
The Camp Fire that began two weeks ago has scorched an area roughly the size of Chicago, burned down more than 13,000 homes and killed at least 81 people, with the number increasing daily. — Janie Har, The Seattle Times, "AP Explains: The hunt for missing, dead in California fire," 21 Nov. 2018 Since igniting last Thursday, the blaze has scorched more than 130,000 acres, an area more than four times the size of San Francisco. — Umair Irfan, Vox, "Why the Camp Fire in Northern California is so severe," 14 Nov. 2018 The Holy Fire has scorched nearly 18,000 acres in Orange and Riverside counties forcing thousands to flee their homes. — Fox News, "Christopher Steele's communications with DOJ raise questions," 11 Aug. 2018 The blaze has scorched 8,200 acres and there has been no containment as of Monday morning. — Joseph Serna, latimes.com, "Gov. Jerry Brown declares state of emergency as Lake County fire threatens hundreds of homes," 25 June 2018 The online food-delivery war is officially scorching hot, and cash burns are scarring balance sheets across the playing field. — Laura Forman, WSJ, "Grubhub Won’t Fizzle as Competitors Sizzle," 26 Apr. 2019 But this was not the case over this Easter weekend, which spoiled us Brits with wonderfully sunny skies, scorching temperatures, and lazy life down by the river. — Vogue, "An Easter Weekend in the English Countryside With Alice Naylor-Leyland," 22 Apr. 2019 Go right ahead and don’t stir your soup — no scorching here. — Betty Gold, Good Housekeeping, "5 Best Ceramic Cookware Sets to Buy in 2019, According to Kitchen Product Experts," 1 Mar. 2019 To further scorch the burger’s name, PETA made the dubious suggestion that the burger could increase risks of cancer in consumers. — Beth Mole, Ars Technica, "PETA roasts Impossible Burger for rat tests, suggests patties cause cancer," 11 Aug. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Both Bird and Lime seem to be wising up to the limitations of the scorch-the-earth strategy. — Johana Bhuiyan, Recode, "The bare-knuckle tactics Uber used to get its way with regulators are not going to work for scooter startups," 30 Aug. 2018 Recent missile firings might leave minor scorch marks or fouling on the Lubeck’s paint job, but the ship looks pristine. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "Why Does This German Frigate Have Drone “Kill Marks”?," 27 Aug. 2018 Summer nights in the 70s seem part of the silent bargain many of us make with Washington weather, tolerating the inevitable sweat and scorch of the day in return for a bit of respite after dark. — Martin Weil, Washington Post, "Washington saw days of swelter this week; the nights were pretty warm too," 6 July 2018 Bourdain clearly operates with all six burners on scorch, and the result keeps the reader excited. — Deirdre Donahue, USA TODAY, "Our review: Anthony Bourdain's 'Kitchen Confidential' captured restaurants' demented glory," 8 June 2018 Though the prequels certainly felt some of its scorch, this is the first Star Wars trilogy to truly contend with the full force of the Internet’s attention. — Joanna Robinson, HWD, "Star Wars: The Last Jedi," 17 Dec. 2017 Chile brings an insistent thrust to every dish, sometimes a scorch and quick retreat, sometimes a steady radiance. — Ligaya Mishan, New York Times, "Tastes That Are Distinctly Bangladeshi in Queens," 26 Oct. 2017 Stir tomatoes frequently so mixture does not scorch on bottom. — Mary G. Pepitone, kansascity, "Sweet, savory homemade ketchup a legacy of love | The Kansas City Star," 24 Oct. 2017 City dwellers will have a difficult time seeing anything but the brightest scorches of light. — Neel V. Patel, Slate Magazine, "Treat Yourself to a Meteor Shower," 20 Oct. 2017Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
But this was not the case over this Easter weekend, which spoiled us Brits with wonderfully sunny skies, scorching temperatures, and lazy life down by the river. — Vogue, "An Easter Weekend in the English Countryside With Alice Naylor-Leyland," 22 Apr. 2019 The advisory is a continuation of the scorching hot temperatures from the weekend, with Sunday's high of 96 degrees. — Deasia Paige, Detroit Free Press, "Heat advisory for metro Detroit extended until tonight," 18 June 2018 The online food-delivery war is officially scorching hot, and cash burns are scarring balance sheets across the playing field. — Laura Forman, WSJ, "Grubhub Won’t Fizzle as Competitors Sizzle," 26 Apr. 2019 The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said Tuesday the blaze burning in Mendocino, Lake and Colusa counties has scorched 378 square miles (979 square kilometers). — Fox News, "The Latest: Largest wildfire in California history grows," 7 Aug. 2018 Emerging from buses into the scorching sun, about 150 undocumented immigrants just released from federal custody huddled behind the bus terminal. — Todd Heisler, New York Times, "A Long Journey North for Migrants That May End Where It Started," 30 June 2018 Potential for scorching summer conditions has always concerned organizers, with temperatures in central Tokyo often exceeding 35 Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) in July and August, made more difficult because of high humidity. — Jim Armstrong, The Seattle Times, "The 2020 Olympics will open in 2 years, and the heat is on," 24 July 2018 On Sunday, a few hundred of Mr. Guaidó’s supporters were waiting for him under scorching heat in front of a school here in this coastal town facing the Caribbean Sea, about an hour’s drive from the capital, Caracas. — Kejal Vyas And Ginette Gonzalez, WSJ, "Venezuela Opposition Leader Detained, Then Released," 13 Jan. 2019 The blaze is largely out of control after scorching more than 6 square miles (16 square kilometers) of dry brush in on the park's western edge. — Fox News, "The Latest: Crews to try again to get body of firefighter," 15 July 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scorch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for scorch
scorch
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of scorch
: a damaged area or mark that is caused by burning
See the full definition for scorch in the English Language Learners Dictionary
scorch
verb
\ ˈskȯrch
\
\
scorched;
scorching
Kids Definition of scorch
1
: to burn on the surface
The fire scorched the bottom of the pan.
2
: to dry or shrivel with or as if with intense heat
Drought scorched the crops.
3
: to produce intense heat
The wind had died and already the sun was beginning to scorch.— Theodore Taylor, The Cay
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