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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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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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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as in to annoy
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
seeing people violate smoking bans really burns me up
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as in combustible
capable of catching or being set on fire
don't put something so burnable as a towel next to the stove
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of burn
Courtland Milloy, Washington Post, 12 Sep. 2023
William Lucas, 8, survived after Tonya Lucas’ boyfriend at the time rescued him from the burning home.
—Alex Mann, Baltimore Sun, 12 Sep. 2023
Kelly Burch Published, Verywell Health, 2 July 2025
Advertisement The tree rings showing scars from low-intensity fires stopped in the 19th Century, when settlers took over and banned traditional burns.
—Stephen Maher, Time, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for burn
Verb
Such interactions can light a fuse that may burn throughout a school year, only to erupt when students arrive for a new semester driving their parents’ car.
—Courtland Milloy, Washington Post, 12 Sep. 2023
William Lucas, 8, survived after Tonya Lucas’ boyfriend at the time rescued him from the burning home.
—Alex Mann, Baltimore Sun, 12 Sep. 2023
Noun
Crying can leave you relieved or exhausted, but does crying burn calories?
—Kelly Burch Published, Verywell Health, 2 July 2025
Advertisement The tree rings showing scars from low-intensity fires stopped in the 19th Century, when settlers took over and banned traditional burns.
—Stephen Maher, Time, 2 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for burn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burn
Noun
-
Both Bazzano and Wells, however, hit the jackpot that afternoon, fishing a variety of water from the big lake to a small brook.—
Robeson Bailey,
Outdoor Life,
11 June 2025
-
The vast and varied network of the Camino de Santiago has been compared to a river system where small brooks join together to make streams, and those streams come together to make rivers that ‘flow’ to the cathedral.—
Cecilia Rodriguez,
Forbes.com,
22 June 2025
Adjective
-
Joaquin and Pedro together are surprisingly like a combustible, great pair.—
Kirsten Chuba,
HollywoodReporter,
27 June 2025
-
Shroff agreed the Israel debate is politically combustible but said Mamdani's framing has still resonated with many younger voters.—
Jesus Mesa,
MSNBC Newsweek,
24 June 2025
Noun
-
It is situated along a creek just off California State Route 2 in Angeles National Forest.—
Jaclyn Cosgrove,
Los Angeles Times,
5 June 2025
-
While traversing steep mountain trails and navigating undulating bent grass greens at Cliffhangers, golfers will drive carts through cascading waterfalls, cross swift flowing creeks, and wind through a cave system.—
Erik Matuszewski,
Forbes.com,
5 June 2025
Adjective
-
That internal shift can make conflict feel less explosive and more constructive.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
10 July 2025
-
That three-month period was pivotal in the explosion of The Beatles and the images, organized by the National Portrait Gallery in London, give viewers a chance to experience the band's explosive rise to fame through McCartney's lens.—
Melonee Hurt,
The Tennessean,
10 July 2025
Noun
-
In addition to its radio airplay, the song earned 710,000 official U.S. streams.—
Kevin Rutherford,
Billboard,
11 July 2025
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Speakers reach room-filling volume, yet there’s still a trusty headphone jack for late-night streams.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
11 July 2025
Adjective
-
Fuels in the area remained extremely dry and highly flammable.—
Arlyssa D. Becenti,
AZCentral.com,
5 July 2025
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Keep vehicles off dry grass Properly discard cigarettes or anything flammable (think ashtrays or a nonflammable container, not the ground, and fully snuffed out) The air quality, however, is not dangerous, according to AirNow, which reports the official U.S. air quality.—
Nicole Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
Adjective
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And all this against an inflammable backdrop of geopolitical crises including but not limited to the Israel-Hamas war and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.—
John Leicester,
Quartz,
15 Apr. 2024
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Heat also stresses old electrical systems — insulation breaks down; lubricants in relays dry out — and a not-insignificant amount of the subway’s electrical wiring dates to the 1920s and 1930s, some of it cloth-covered, inflammable, and pervious to water.—
Curbed,
Curbed,
28 July 2023
Cite this Entry
“Burn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burn. Accessed 16 Jul. 2025.
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