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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in warm
having or expressing great depth of feeling
the burning enthusiasm of that candidate's campaign workers
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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
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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
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4
as in flaring
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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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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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
Christine Chitnis, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Apr. 2026
The living room has four south-facing windows and a wood-burning fireplace.
—Katie McDonough, Curbed, 20 Apr. 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
Outside, gravel paths lead to a saltwater pool with ocean views, fire pits for evening gatherings, and a wood-burning sauna tucked into the landscape.
—Christine Chitnis, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Apr. 2026
The living room has four south-facing windows and a wood-burning fireplace.
—Katie McDonough, Curbed, 20 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for burning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burning
Adjective
-
The plants are hardy in the South in USDA Zones 3-9, and the flowers of many blazing star species linger for a long time during the blooming season.—
Patricia S York,
Southern Living,
18 Apr. 2026
-
For Houstonians who saw it, the fireball meteor that streaked across the East Texas sky last month was a brief, blazing moment of awe.—
Maliya Ellis,
Houston Chronicle,
5 Apr. 2026
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
-
But with warm weather and wildfire season ahead, community leaders would prefer to see a full reservoir even if the water isn’t suitable for drinking.—
Sandra McDonald,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Apr. 2026
-
The 2026 allergy season is objectively worse than last year’s, driven by warmer temperatures and rising CO2 levels pushing plants to produce more pollen than ever before.—
Allison Palmer,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The situation sparked immediate on-the-ground reporting from journalists across the media spectrum who took to social media platforms to deliver urgent reports.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
26 Apr. 2026
-
The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan said people have reported to them and the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center that they've been denied urgent and routine medical care over the past 10 months.—
Nick Lentz,
CBS News,
26 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
José Bastón and Eva Longoria are glowing in their sequins and smiles at LACMA's Opening Gala for The David Geffen Galleries in Los Angeles on April 16.—
Toria Sheffield,
PEOPLE,
21 Apr. 2026
-
After mounting the Bioluminator to their amphibious aircraft, Cora and Jasper follow the glowing bioluminescent trail from the Wildwood Tree to the Secret Lake in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.—
Brady MacDonald,
Oc Register,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Blazers could not hold on after building a 65-59 halftime lead, an edge built by shooting a scorching 10-of-21 from 3-point range.—
Christian Clark,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Wildfires are currently scorching acres of land in South Georgia and Northern Florida.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The Bush and its strike group left its Norfolk, Virginia, homeport on March 31, and took the long route to the Middle East region, steaming around the Cape of Good Hope at the southern tip of Africa.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
24 Apr. 2026
-
With the Wild killing a penalty, Marcus Foligno blocked a Matt Duchene shot, then was pushed face-first into the ice by Duchene’s follow-through, coming up bloody and steaming mad.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
With tensions flaring and the ceasefire due to expire midweek, Pakistan was pushing for talks to resume Tuesday as planned.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
20 Apr. 2026
-
The refinery uses flaring to burn off excess gases to manage pressure within the equipment.—
Noelle Phillips,
Denver Post,
15 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Burning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burning. Accessed 27 Apr. 2026.
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