SCORCH Synonyms: 53 Similar and Opposite Words

scorch

verb

ˈskȯrch

as in to char

to burn on the surface the picnickers kept scorching their marshmallows, deliberately sticking their skewers into the licking flames of the campfire

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to dry

to make dry weeks of drought had badly scorched the soil

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of scorch Tucson will also be at or near record temperatures through March 27 as the state’s unprecedented heat wave scorches on, the weather service said. —

Ray Stern, AZCentral.com, 25 Mar. 2026 This unseasonable March streak of scorching heat is not only notable in its intensity, but also in its duration and its scale. —

Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 20 Mar. 2026 The record-setting temperature was recorded just outside Martinez Lake, Arizona, in the Yuma Desert, as a winter heat wave scorched the Southwest, according to the National Weather Service. —

ABC News, 19 Mar. 2026 And scorching Southern California weather could lead to earlier fire season. —

Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 17 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for scorch

Recent Examples of Synonyms for scorch

Verb

Sauté them in butter or olive oil and pile onto toast, fold them into savory ramp biscuits or other baked goods, or grill them until soft and lightly charred to serve alongside meat or fish.

— Kelly Vaughan, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 Mar. 2026
As of Monday morning, the 24 fire near Fort Carson had charred 7,385 acres in Fremont and El Paso counties with no containment, according to the Fremont County Sheriff’s Office.

— Lauren Penington, Denver Post, 23 Mar. 2026