as in rubble
the portion or bits of something left over or behind after it has been destroyed
a new and more splendid city was built on the ashes of the old
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ashes
Verb
-
In Death by Lightning, his performance as Charles Guiteau incinerates any attempt to categorize the presidential assassin.—
Kathryn VanArendonk,
Vulture,
1 Dec. 2025 -
No, the King of the Monsters unleashes his fiery breath on the man and incinerates him instead.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
This time, his Bride (Buckley) not only comes alive, but also ignites a cultural revolution as the outlaw lovers embark on a cross-country crime spree.—
Sydney Bucksbaum,
Entertainment Weekly,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Under California law, most of those payments, as well as the lawsuit settlements, are expected to be covered by a state wildfire fund that lawmakers created to shield the three biggest for-profit utilities from bankruptcy if their equipment ignites a catastrophic fire.—
Melody Petersen,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Hopper cut off a Demogorgon’s head, and Murray torches quite a few.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
12 Nov. 2025
-
Continue reading … IN OTHER NEWS SWEET REVENGE – Aaron Rodgers torches former Jets team with 4 touchdowns in Steelers debut victory.—
,
FOXNews.com,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The fickle Moon lights your 10th House of Prestige, opposing assertive Pluto in your 4th House of Traditions, pointing out any imbalances between your ambitions and your respect for the past.—
Tarot.com,
The Orlando Sentinel,
1 Feb. 2026
-
You’re being asked to commit to what lights you up, not just chase excitement.—
Dossé-Via Trenou,
Refinery29,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
While Martin Scorsese called it one of the scariest movies of all time, The Uninvited kindles a wonderful romance between Rick and Stella.—
Steven Thrash,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The star of Big Little Lies confessed her new film, Caught Stealing, kindles a powerful yearning for some aspects of the era.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Your body burns additional calories in the cold from shivering.—
Kaelyn Lynch,
Outside,
23 Jan. 2026
-
According to Amnesty International, Israel used white phosphorus, a highly reactive chemical that burns at extremely high temperatures when exposed to air.—
Josiane Yazbeck,
The Conversation,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
That specific string cover of Taylor Swift’s anthem backs a different Cinderella-esque scene involving the pair, who miraculously reconnect in the countryside after Araminta (Katie Leung) fires Sophie from her position as housemaid in the Penwood home.—
Dessi Gomez,
Deadline,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Test your news knowledge with this week's Fox News Digital News Quiz, in which former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick faces a major snub, and Virginia Commonwealth University fires an employee after ICE videos.—
Staff,
FOXNews.com,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This is the kind of journalism that makes people distrust anything the news media tell us, and potentially wrongly inflames the public.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
28 Jan. 2026
-
Why vocabulary avoidance creates the space populists fill European governments spent a decade learning that sloppy language inflames prejudice.—
Güney Yıldız,
Forbes.com,
24 Jan. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Ashes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ashes. Accessed 6 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
