burial

noun

ˈber-ē-əl How to pronounce burial (audio)
Definition of burialnext
1
as in funeral
the act or ceremony of putting a dead body in its final resting place the children wanted to give the dead bird a proper burial in the backyard

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tomb
a final resting place for a dead person archaeologically significant artifacts, such as stone tools, have been discovered in Neanderthal burials

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 burial Oxygen-poor burial conditions and microbial activity may also have contributed. — New Atlas, 2 Nov. 2026 Often this involves methods of returning their elements to the earth, such as ritual burning, burial or pouring liquids like holy water into the soil. — Angie Leventis Lourgos, Chicago Tribune, 1 Nov. 2026 This spring, California embarked on one of the world’s largest carbon burial endeavors yet. — Katie Worth, ProPublica, 30 Oct. 2026 And a burial-transit permit may also be required in accordance with Florida statute. — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for burial
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burial
  1. funeral
  2. tomb
  3. interment
  4. grave
  5. entombment
  6. cemetery
  7. burying
Noun
  • For one minute during his funeral, as a mark of respect, all Bell telephone service across America stopped.
    — Cal Revely-Calder, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026
  • The station’s guard, Mohammed al-Nour, was killed, and a large crowd from the city attended his funeral, Wadaa said.
    — Hamza Fahmy, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of funeral
Noun
  • The drug was likely used in a burial ritual at a tomb discovered in what is now Siberia.
    — Mary Randolph, Scientific American, 5 Nov. 2026
  • The team from Germany, Russia, Sweden and Switzerland said analysis of hair in the royal tomb where cannabis seeds turned up sheds new light on the plant's role in ancient societies.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of tomb
Noun
  • The price for a grave and interment are in addition to the funeral costs.
    — Mimi Hanaoka, The Conversation, 21 Oct. 2026
  • Parker separately ordered city flags to remain at half-staff until sunset on the day of Seiber's interment.
    — James Cirrone , Brittany Miller, FOXNews.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of interment
Noun
  • Multiple speakers, including some with family members in the cemetery, cited a Washington Post analysis that the arch would cast shadows on thousands of graves.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2026
  • An effort to escape himself, or to dig his own shallow, silty grave?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of grave
Noun
  • According to legends that circulated in the Middle Ages, the Codex Gigas was created by a monk in Podlažice who sinned and was sentenced to death by immurement—live entombment in a walled enclosure.
    — Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Under California’s Health and Safety Code, local governments can establish rules for burial, inurnment and entombment, as well as the maintenance of cemeteries, mausoleums and columbariums.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of entombment
Noun
  • North Highlands community members are coming together to support the family of a 1-year-old girl, who was killed after being struck by a vehicle at a South Sacramento cemetery during Día de los Muertos celebrations.
    — Conor McGill, CBS News, 8 Nov. 2026
  • Multiple speakers, including some with family members in the cemetery, cited a Washington Post analysis that the arch would cast shadows on thousands of graves.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of cemetery
Noun
  • One such detail is the prospect of a Gallagher-brothers-style burying of the hatchet for Harry and Prince William.
    — Jamie Timson, TheWeek, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Eaton wildfire survivors’ anger about Southern California Edison’s burying of electric wires in Altadena boiled over Tuesday with residents calling on government officials to temporarily halt the work.
    — Melody Petersen, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
Definition of burying

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burgs
burial
burials
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Cite this Entry

“Burial.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burial. Accessed 12 Nov. 2026.

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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about burial

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