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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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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burn one's ears
5 of 5phrase
as in reprimand
to criticize (someone) so as to correct a fault
She burned his ears for not wearing a seatbelt.
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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
Jade Walker, CNN Money, 6 May 2025
Journalists fanned out across Altadena and the Pacific Palisades to pull up columns of dirt from about 40 properties: 10 Army Corps-cleared lots and 10 still-standing homes in each burn zone.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 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
That’s how many SharkNinja pressure cookers were recalled last week due to reports of over 100 burn injuries.
—Jade Walker, CNN Money, 6 May 2025
Journalists fanned out across Altadena and the Pacific Palisades to pull up columns of dirt from about 40 properties: 10 Army Corps-cleared lots and 10 still-standing homes in each burn zone.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for burn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burn
Noun
-
The quick video opened with footage of a rushing river and rolled to show a closeup of flowering branches, blue bells and an aerial view of a brook.—
Janine Henni,
People.com,
1 May 2025
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The 1851-52 painting by John Everett Millais is one of the most popular renderings of Ophelia's death, which depicts her lying, almost peacefully, among flowers in a brook.—
Audrey Gibbs,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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And, yeah, Saw huffing on the very combustible rhydo probably doesn’t help him stay even-keeled.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
30 Apr. 2025
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Without home insurance, banks won’t lend and construction won’t start in these predictably combustible areas on the outskirts of our cities and at the edge of nature.—
Max Taves,
Mercury News,
25 Apr. 2025
Noun
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He’s arrowed fish in freshwater, tidewater creeks, and in the saltwater near the massive Chesapeake Bay Bridge.—
Bob McNally,
Outdoor Life,
1 May 2025
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The Spa The Spa is a collection of treatment tents set along a creek that lends a soundtrack to your massage, facial, or body wrap.—
Maya Kachroo-Levine,
Travel + Leisure,
18 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Forecast: Both rookies will have good rookie seasons, but the combination of L.A.’s more talented offense and his own tools will lead to the explosive Hampton, 22, matching or exceeding Jeanty, 21, in both yards per carry and rushes of 20 yards or more. Expect Jeanty to carry a heavier load.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 May 2025
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Stars Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and De'Andre Hunter were all unavailable during Game 2, limiting the Cavaliers' explosive attack.—
Matt Levine,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 May 2025
Noun
-
About Sen Sen provides its streams from space for free.—
Josh Dinner,
Space.com,
13 May 2025
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Both of their bodies were later found in the shallow stream where people did their washing, limbs bloody, faces forgotten, except where the daughter’s forehead had been branded with a hot iron.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
13 May 2025
Adjective
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Be especially wary of really, really flammable things.—
Matthew Korfhage,
WIRED,
24 Mar. 2025
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Another consideration is how close the development sits to heavy vegetation and highly flammable fuels, and to manage them with a combination of wet zones, thinning zones, and fire-resistant planting.—
Jennifer Castenson,
Forbes.com,
10 Apr. 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 21 May. 2025.
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