1
as in to glow
to be on fire especially brightly
all evening long we just sat there, contentedly watching the Yule log burn
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
2
as in to scorch
to set (something) on fire
it is not a good idea to try to burn old papers in the sink
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to steam
to be excited or emotionally stirred up with anger
he came home burning with anger because of a reprimand at work
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4
as in to flame
to shine with a bright harsh light
the bright streetlight outside our motel room burned all night long
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5
as in to deceive
to cause to believe what is untrue
he's been burned before, so he's careful to double-check such claims now
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to consume
to make complete use of
heedlessly burning the country's resources without any concern for future generations
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in creek
a natural body of running water smaller than a river
the walkers forded the shallow burn and then came upon a field of gorse
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of burn
ABC News, 8 June 2026
Another one in Arizona sparked a wildfire that burned nearly 47,000 acres in 2017 and caused more than $8 million in damage.
—Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 June 2026
The character meets Bernadette on season 3, and their relationship is a slow burn.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for burn
Verb
Fourteen of the bodies were burned beyond recognition and have not been identified, said Ahmad Saleem, spokesperson for the Thi Qar provincial council.
—ABC News, 8 June 2026
Another one in Arizona sparked a wildfire that burned nearly 47,000 acres in 2017 and caused more than $8 million in damage.
—Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 8 June 2026
Noun
The Browns are a moribund, bad team that few people other than those who risk severe burns sailing on Lake Erie know anything about.
—Nick Canepa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 June 2026
The character meets Bernadette on season 3, and their relationship is a slow burn.
—Christopher Rudolph, PEOPLE, 6 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for burn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burn
Verb
-
At Palisades State Park, striking red-pink Sioux quartzite cliffs jut up to 50 feet above Split Rock Creek, their jagged faces almost glowing against a backdrop of bucolic farmland.—
Taryn Shorr-Mckee,
Midwest Living,
4 June 2026
-
Although the building is gray and the galleries dark, the contents glow.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
4 June 2026
Verb
-
As a scorching wind tears across the barren, rocky slopes of Komote Island off the shore of Lake Turkana in northern Kenya, Alfred Lenkutuk sits in the meager shelter of his hut, gazing out over the village where he was born and remembering better times.—
Tommy Trenchard,
NPR,
31 May 2026
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Nicole Maccalla, a member of Eaton Fire Residents United, spent five months fighting with her insurer after the Eaton fire scorched the roof of her home.—
Jason Henry,
Daily News,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
The menu reads like a love letter to the nearby ocean, with a raw bar serving oysters and littleneck clams by the half-dozen and steaming bowls of clam chowder.—
Zoey Goto,
Travel + Leisure,
2 June 2026
-
Dale thought of the donuts and wondered if steaming them in their combination oven would consistently bake them all the way through.—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
In 1971, the Jewish residents of Forest Hills violently protested the development of a public-housing project in their neighborhood with rocks and flaming torches.—
Kevin Lozano,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
-
On the other side of the card Eva had drawn it in a tracksuit and lime-green running shoes holding a flaming torch in the 2024 Paris Olympics.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
He was also accused of deceiving escrow agents to secure the release of pre-construction condo deposits and then misappropriated those funds for personal expenses unrelated to the developments.—
Jay Weaver
June 6,
Miami Herald,
6 June 2026
-
The Allies went to extraordinary lengths to deceive the enemy, suggesting that the attack would focus on the Pas-de-Calais, the narrowest point of the English Channel.—
Kevin Maurer,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
While all supplements are not without risk, colostrum remains one of the safer supplements to consume with limited side effects.—
Omer Awan,
Forbes.com,
6 June 2026
-
Data centers nationally consumed 17 billion gallons of water for cooling in 2023 — a figure that could quadruple by 2028, according to estimates from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.—
Jack O'Connor,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2026
Noun
-
The silence of the canyon mouth was replaced by the soft rush of a creek, bird songs, and the constant cacophony of dragonflies and gnats.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
-
Three-year-old Riley Fox was found drowned and half-naked in a Wilmington creek.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
Democrats are putting faith in him to blaze a trail in the state after struggling electorally in recent cycles, hoping his message of unity will resonate with their fellow Iowans.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
-
Democrats are putting faith in him to blaze a trail in the state after struggling electorally in recent cycles, hoping his message of unity will resonate with their fellow Iowans.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Burn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burn. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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