ash

verb

Definition of ashnext
as in to kiln

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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 ash Then the blast hits, burning Sarah alive (actually a full-sized puppet) and reducing those children to ash. — ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026 In Figments of Freedom, written, directed by and starring Webber, a Marine goes AWOL, burns his life to ash, and vanishes into America’s fractured heart. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2026 Sixty-four of its cities had been reduced to rubble and ash by incendiary bombs, as a submarine blockade strangled its economy, cutting off food, fuel, and raw materials. — James M. Scott, Time, 10 Aug. 2026 Usually used to ward off frost and pests, these permeable materials offer a budget-friendly physical barrier against dust and ash too. — Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2026 Through it all, their bullpen was consistent … in the way that an uncontained wildfire consistently turns acreage to ash. — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 15 July 2026 Now, the cabin where those memories were made has been reduced to ash. — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 27 June 2026 The fires in West Miami-Dade that have sent smoke, soot and ash into nearby communities, prompting over 200 people to leave their homes, is more than half contained as of Thursday, according to the Florida Forest Service. — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 18 June 2026 In less than 24 hours, the deadly flames reduced the entire city to ash, displacing generations of families overnight. — Samantha Stokes, Essence, 6 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ash
  1. incinerate
  2. light
  3. cremate
  4. ignite
  5. kindle
  6. torch
  7. fire
  8. burn
Verb
  • Cars and batteries and plastics and metals and other things were incinerated, and a toxic plume traveled for miles.
    — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The truck eventually explodes, seemingly incinerating the T-1000.
    — ArsTechnica, ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of incinerate
Verb
  • European space officials hope a jolt of competition will light a fire under the continent’s rocket industry.
    — Stephen Clark, ArsTechnica, 6 Sep. 2026
  • This world’s heavens are lit with cosmic rays, its cityscapes otherworldly — everything seems to service an unabashed romanticism.
    — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of light
Verb
  • Medical examiners typically cremate remains after a certain period of time if they are not claimed, which prevents family members from making an identification at a later time, Hess said.
    — Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The village’s daily rhythms are ordered by the passing trains—until a train arrives from Pakistan loaded with the corpses of Sikh refugees, and the community is made to cremate the dead.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026
Definition of cremate
Verb
  • The explosion, which involved more than a million pounds of fireworks, killed seven people and ignited a 78-acre wildfire.
    — Daniel Lempres, Sacbee.com, 31 Aug. 2026
  • While Alaska’s smokejumpers waited for thunderheads to ignite fires, several of them worked in the loft, an airy room crammed with sewing machines and bolts of fabric on long tables.
    — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of ignite
Verb
  • Now that fall is on the horizon, hope has been kindled for abundant rainfall.
    — Robert Klose, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Sep. 2026
  • This wildfire season was supercharged by heavy rains in January that spurred vegetation growth, which became kindling when the summer heat arrived.
    — Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of kindle
Verb
  • As the fire raged, mother and son used garden hoses to defend their property as nearby dwellings were torched.
    — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The internet was torching Mount Carmel, which was getting embarrassed on ESPN.
    — Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 31 Aug. 2026
Definition of torch
Verb
  • Knowing workers are required to pay dues or be fired, leaders often use these funds for their own personal gain and political agenda, no matter how many rank-and-file members may object.
    — Mark Mix, Sun Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026
  • According to Ukraine’s Air Force, Russian forces launched 108 Shahed-type drones fired from Russia, while at least three people were killed in the latest strikes and infrastructure was hit in Kyiv region.
    — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of fire
Verb
  • State Assembly Member John Harabedian, who represents Altadena, where the Eaton Fire killed 19 people and burned about 9,400 homes and structures, authored one of the bills passed this week.
    — Evan Bush, NBC news, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The Soviet Union was an archetypal fragile superpower, its red star burning bright before its dramatic final implosion.
    — Ben Bland, semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2026
Definition of burn

Browse Nearby Words

as good as
ash
ashamed
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Cite this Entry

“Ash.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ash. Accessed 8 Sep. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on ash

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about ash

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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