1
as in flaming
being on fire
a firefighter must be that rare soul who rushes into a burning house, not away from it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in boiling
having a notably high temperature
a burning sauna seems like a welcome retreat after a day of shoveling snow
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3
as in warm
having or expressing great depth of feeling
the burning enthusiasm of that candidate's campaign workers
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in urgent
needing immediate attention
once again the media ignored the burning issues and focused on fluff
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in glowing
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 scorching
to set (something) on fire
it is not a good idea to try to burn old papers in the sink
Synonyms & Similar Words
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3
as in steaming
to be excited or emotionally stirred up with anger
he came home burning with anger because of a reprimand at work
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in blazing
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 tricking
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 consuming
to make complete use of
heedlessly burning the country's resources without any concern for future generations
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of burning
Phil Blair, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 June 2025
Tom Cruise has been awarded the Guinness World Record for most burning parachute jumps by an individual, netting a whopping 16 flaming jumps while filming Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 5 June 2025
Melissa Sierra, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Trump has repeatedly floated a ban on burning flags, including during his 2024 presidential campaign after protesters in Washington burned an American flag and caught the ire of his Democratic rival at the time, former Vice President Kamala Harris.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for burning
Adjective
As in most burning issues, there is no absolutely right or wrong answer.
—Phil Blair, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 June 2025
Tom Cruise has been awarded the Guinness World Record for most burning parachute jumps by an individual, netting a whopping 16 flaming jumps while filming Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning.
—Wesley Stenzel, EW.com, 5 June 2025
Verb
Trying to keep everyone else's fires burning minimizes your capacity to remain focused on your lane, where your most significant influence and innovation reside.
—Melissa Sierra, Forbes.com, 8 Sep. 2025
Trump has repeatedly floated a ban on burning flags, including during his 2024 presidential campaign after protesters in Washington burned an American flag and caught the ire of his Democratic rival at the time, former Vice President Kamala Harris.
—Kathryn Palmer, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for burning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burning
Adjective
-
Competition, passive-aggressive zingers and hard feelings turn their relationship into a flaming hot mess.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
-
Firemen spoke of seeing tenants sitting outside flaming buildings with their belongings neatly arranged beside them.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Agrawal and her team studied ionic liquids — salts that are liquid at sub-boiling temperatures (below 212 degrees Fahrenheit, or 100 degrees Celsius) — as a potential hospitable environment for life.—
Stefanie Waldek,
Space.com,
13 Aug. 2025
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One idea is that about a million years after the Big Bang, the universe cooled and underwent a phase transition, an event similar to how boiling water turns liquid into gas.—
Yasemin Saplakoglu,
Scientific American,
3 Mar. 2020
Adjective
-
While this is only slightly warmer than what is normal for mid-September for the Gulf Coast, this is 10 to 15 degrees warmer than what is normal for this time of the year for much of the Mississippi Valley -- including for parts of Arkansas, Missouri, Iowa, Illinois, South Dakota and Minnesota.—
Kyle Reiman,
ABC News,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Great Britain’s winning performance from Friday’s four races, held in bright sunshine and warm gusty breeze, earned driver Dylan Fletcher and his team their second victory of the season.—
Andrew Rice,
New York Times,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
TeamSmile also launched a new pilot program to deliver essential dental care for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD), highlighting the urgent need for accessible treatment for these kids.—
Tammy Ljungblad,
Kansas City Star,
10 Sep. 2025
-
This means distinguishing between urgent and important tasks, eliminating unnecessary metrics and communications, clarifying policies, and setting clear expectations.—
Kotter,
Forbes.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The results of Scourton’s first appearance weren’t particularly glowing.—
Mike Kaye,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Sep. 2025
-
There are more vibrant reds and glowing greens on heaven and earth here than are dreamed of in your typical color palette.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
This is a big deal as the new process requires no crushing pressure or scorching heat.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
7 Sep. 2025
-
These trees know how to withstand hardships—including scorching Southern summers—and require little to no maintenance once they are established.—
Katherine Polcari,
Southern Living,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Needless to say, fans are steaming.—
Paul Tassi,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
-
At the other end, the Premier League is steaming beyond its peers; a super league in all but name.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
But Trump’s legal action was only the most obvious manifestation of the all-guns-blazing approach the president had taken, with others in his orbit following his lead.—
Niall Stanage,
The Hill,
9 Sep. 2025
-
All three of the Tigers’ offensive corners came in the frame, with two leading to a couple blazing shots from Poire.—
Tom Mulherin,
Boston Herald,
9 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Burning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burning. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.
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