1
as in to glow
to be on fire especially brightly
all evening long we just sat there, contentedly watching the Yule log burn
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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
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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 brook
a natural body of running water smaller than a river
the walkers forded the shallow burn and then came upon a field of gorse
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of burn
Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2025
The pair, who met as college undergrads, both burned with idealism and recognized their privilege could be leveraged for a game-changing idea.
—Carole Horst, Variety, 13 Sep. 2023
Dave Smith, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
People watch a fire burn at a Chevron refinery on October 2, 2025 in El Segundo, California.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for burn
Verb
The Jayhawks could have let Walker score, but didn’t, and instead burned their second timeout on defense with 32 seconds left.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 28 Sep. 2025
The pair, who met as college undergrads, both burned with idealism and recognized their privilege could be leveraged for a game-changing idea.
—Carole Horst, Variety, 13 Sep. 2023
Noun
The wrongful death lawsuit, filed Thursday in Alameda County Superior Court by Carl and Noelle Tsukahara, claims their daughter survived the initial collision with only minor injuries but died from smoke inhalation and burns after becoming trapped inside the vehicle.
—Dave Smith, Fortune, 3 Oct. 2025
People watch a fire burn at a Chevron refinery on October 2, 2025 in El Segundo, California.
—Sam Meredith, CNBC, 3 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for burn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burn
Verb
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The mountains glowed with golden light, evoking a sense of enchantment and possibility.—
Lisa Greissinger,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Oct. 2025
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Los Milics was the subject of a glowing profile in the September 2025 issue of Food and Wine Magazine.—
Richard Ruelas,
AZCentral.com,
4 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Slow-moving thunderstorms frequently unleash catastrophic downpours over the South Fork burn scar, a region still reeling from two fires that scorched over 15,000 acres and destroyed 1,400 structures.—
Alaa Elassar,
CNN Money,
1 Oct. 2025
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My throat was scorched, my tongue was swollen — and the acid would not stop coming.—
Jack Korngold,
Rolling Stone,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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After the hat has cooled, Rosa—a factory floor veteran of 30 years—will steam it to relax the fur’s fibers, and then inspect it for stains and imperfections.—
Eric Twardzik,
Robb Report,
3 Oct. 2025
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Unlike most apple pie recipes, this one calls for the apples to be steamed in a steamer basket.—
Phoebe Evans,
Southern Living,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Spotify also shared a graphic of the same design on Instagram, captioning it simply with a key emoji and flaming heart.—
Hannah Dailey,
Billboard,
29 Sep. 2025
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There was plenty of experimentation, too, seen via the shimmering tops in punchy shades like Big Bird yellow and flaming vermilion red, and the tinsel skirts that swished in all directions as models walked to a custom soundtrack by the British artist Steve McQueen.—
Kati Chitrakorn,
CNN Money,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The lawsuit, filed by the FTC in June 2023 under the Biden administration, claimed that Amazon deceived tens of millions of customers into signing up for its Prime subscription program and sabotaged their attempts to cancel it.—
Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
25 Sep. 2025
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At its worst, AI can be used by bad actors and content farms to confuse or deceive listeners, push ‘slop’ into the ecosystem, and interfere with authentic artists working to build their careers.—
Abid Rahman,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Republicans have opposed public funding for meals consumed by students whose families can afford to pay for the food.—
Clara Hendrickson,
Freep.com,
3 Oct. 2025
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Odell emphasized that the structure of Studio DRBZ was well suited to the way content is created and consumed in the social media age.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
3 Oct. 2025
Noun
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The property, which features lush greenery and old-growth trees set among babbling brooks and water features, is open to the public, and the gardens have served as a popular spot for weddings over the decades in addition to an annual Mother’s Day tea that Weston said attracts hundreds each year.—
Matthew Adams,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Sep. 2025
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Yellow, orange, and red leaves pop with color as burbling brooks flow across the floor.—
Dave Parfitt,
USA Today,
23 Sep. 2025
Verb
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As with Nashville Underground, The Spot by Dre and Snoop doesn’t have its owners’ names blazed across the entrance.—
Leena Tailor,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Oct. 2025
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But their stars blazed different paths for them both, converging again only by a twist of fate.—
Rolling Stone,
Rolling Stone,
3 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Burn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burn. Accessed 6 Oct. 2025.
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