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
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of burn
Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 18 May 2026
The last major fire on the Channel Islands was the Scorpion fire, which burned 1,368 acres on Santa Cruz Island in 2020.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
Chiara Eisner, NPR, 17 May 2026
One component of my role as a burn therapist is the focus on the range of motion of the skin and its ability to glide over joints to allow functional movement.
—Dr. Jaclyn M. Piselli, Hartford Courant, 16 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for burn
Verb
Interestingly, riders notched similar lactate levels and heart rates at the end of both sessions despite the people who rode longer burning more energy.
—Helen Carefoot, Flow Space, 18 May 2026
The last major fire on the Channel Islands was the Scorpion fire, which burned 1,368 acres on Santa Cruz Island in 2020.
—Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 18 May 2026
Noun
On April 14, the federal government outlined plans to boost pay by 25% for government firefighters who work on prescribed burns.
—Chiara Eisner, NPR, 17 May 2026
One component of my role as a burn therapist is the focus on the range of motion of the skin and its ability to glide over joints to allow functional movement.
—Dr. Jaclyn M. Piselli, Hartford Courant, 16 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for burn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burn
Verb
-
Tabakis lightly strums and plucks over a glowing drone and chattering birds, offering an ecumenical introduction, a smiling welcome.—
Grayson Haver Currin,
Pitchfork,
14 May 2026
-
The area is tucked against the San Gabriel Mountains, which glow the color of warm terra cotta at sunset.—
Aarne Heikkila,
NBC news,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
The Morrill Fire — the largest wildfire in Nebraska history — scorched vast stretches of land in mid-March.—
Kailey Schuyler,
FOXNews.com,
19 May 2026
-
Their luck finally ran out in the final, as they were scorched by two of the best players Asia has to offer in Yufei Long & Ting Chieh Wei, winners of the 2025 Sansan Fukuoka Open.—
Todd Boss,
Forbes.com,
18 May 2026
Verb
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Edamame is another easy option—try steaming it and topping it with a sprinkle of salt.—
Stephanie Anderson Witmer,
Health,
19 May 2026
-
Today, Meta is steaming toward its own field of ice.—
Bhakti Mirchandani,
Forbes.com,
19 May 2026
Verb
-
Subsequent throws easily carried the flaming spear upwards of 60 feet away.—
Andrew Paul,
Popular Science,
14 May 2026
-
An infinity-edge pool stretches toward the horizon, while expansive Ipe wood decks, flamed granite terraces, and an outdoor kitchen frame sweeping bay views.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
He was also accused of deceiving escrow agents to secure the release of pre-construction condominium deposits and then misappropriated those funds for personal expenses unrelated to the developments.—
Jay Weaver,
Miami Herald,
15 May 2026
-
For Arjun Singri, founder of Scamless, this has created a new kind of digital arms race, where the same technology driving progress is also being used to deceive people at scale.—
Lyssanoel Frater,
USA Today,
14 May 2026
Verb
-
By 2030, American data centers alone are projected to consume more electricity than all of the country’s steel, aluminum, cement and chemical production combined.—
Iulia Lupse,
Sun Sentinel,
24 May 2026
-
Over time, Price says anger consumed her.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
PEOPLE,
24 May 2026
Noun
-
There’s the area’s natural beauty, of course, inherent in the 12,000 acres of Georgia countryside—forests, rolling landscapes, creeks, and atmospheric ponds—that lie just 85 miles east of Atlanta on the state’s second largest lake.—
Robb Report Studio,
Robb Report,
16 May 2026
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For all of these creatures, the coast’s patchwork of barrier islands, beaches, sandbars, salt marshes, tidal creeks and estuaries are vitally important for survival.—
Charles Seabrook,
AJC.com,
16 May 2026
Verb
-
Shot in 1914, the young men are unwittingly walking into the future, just as Sander himself was blazing a path others would follow.—
Max Norman,
New Yorker,
21 May 2026
-
As the teller of a moral tale, Zvyagintsev doesn’t go all in, guns blazing.—
Stephanie Bunbury,
Deadline,
19 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Burn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burn. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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