1
as in blazing
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in warm
having or expressing great depth of feeling
the burning enthusiasm of that candidate's campaign workers
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 flaring
to shine with a bright harsh light
the bright streetlight outside our motel room burned all night long
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in consuming
to make complete use of
heedlessly burning the country's resources without any concern for future generations
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2026
Instead, Orion and its service module were pictured burning under the power of what appears to be a Centaur V — the upper stage for United Launch Alliance's (ULA) new Vulcan rocket.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 10 Mar. 2026
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
Just keep burning your bridges and turning our friends against us.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 10 Mar. 2026
Instead, Orion and its service module were pictured burning under the power of what appears to be a Centaur V — the upper stage for United Launch Alliance's (ULA) new Vulcan rocket.
—Josh Dinner, Space.com, 10 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for burning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burning
Adjective
-
The Giants have had four since 2018, and general manager Schoen is on a blazing-hot seat.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
10 Jan. 2026
-
In nuclear thermal rockets, a small nuclear reactor heats up a propellant — often liquid hydrogen — to blazing temperatures in the thousands of degrees.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
More humane methods of killing lobsters pre-boiling include a sharp knife through the head, electrical stunning, or freezing.—
semafor.com,
semafor.com,
29 Dec. 2025
-
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
Adjective
-
A day later, both sides were outside during breaks enjoying an unseasonably warm mid-March day in Manhattan.—
Doug Feinberg,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Shawkat, with her warm, amused eyes and her mop of curls, is a perfect carrier for Mae’s air of abjection, flopping around her bed like a horny, gloomy Raggedy Ann.—
Emily Nussbaum,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Dog walkers recently stumbled across strange-looking footprints on a Scottish beach — a discovery that triggered an urgent archaeological excavation.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Those specialists estimated the building needs $329 million in urgent repairs and more than $1 billion over 20 years for full modernization.—
Devyani Chhetri,
Dallas Morning News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The driver switches the radio silent, the world glowing around them.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The reports from the back fields were immediately glowing.—
Kevin Acee,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In a region where weather swings from paralyzing ice storms to scorching summers, these elements carry weight.—
Mary Grace Granados
Special Contributor,
Dallas Morning News,
5 Mar. 2026
-
How to Cope When spending time outdoors in scorching weather, protect yourself by hydrating frequently, avoiding the hottest time of day, and seeking shade when possible.—
Becky Upham,
EverydayHealth.com,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
These workers control everything from individually steaming each stage curtain to rigging massive pieces of audio equipment.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Mar. 2026
-
But portioning the layered dish into individual servings before cooking and steaming it on the stovetop?—
Gretchen McKay,
Boston Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Tensions between the union and district officials have been flaring for months.—
Jessica Seaman,
Denver Post,
5 Mar. 2026
-
On February 24, the first night of public access, the system created and distributed some 800,000 alerts, sending out notifications for swooping asteroids, exploding stars, flaring supermassive black holes and other transient celestial events.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Burning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burning. Accessed 14 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
