as in to burn
to be on fire especially brightly
anthracite, which is naturally hard, combusts more cleanly than bituminous coal
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of combust
Missiles combusted an oil refinery in Haifa and struck a hospital, a science institute and residential areas.
—
Sebastien Roblin, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Pros: When burned cleanly, combusting all of the methane, LNG can reduce global warming impacts by around 10% compared with the diesel fuel many modern cruise ships use, Collette said.
—Nathan Diller, USA Today, 10 June 2025
But when the teens meet — both infected by the plagues of violence and the attention economy — neither can anticipate how their interaction will ultimately combust.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 8 June 2025
Observers had long wondered if the friendship between the two brash billionaires known for lobbing insults online would combust in dramatic fashion.
—Michelle L. Price, Twin Cities, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for combust
Sebastien Roblin, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025
Pros: When burned cleanly, combusting all of the methane, LNG can reduce global warming impacts by around 10% compared with the diesel fuel many modern cruise ships use, Collette said.
—Nathan Diller, USA Today, 10 June 2025
But when the teens meet — both infected by the plagues of violence and the attention economy — neither can anticipate how their interaction will ultimately combust.
—Angelique Jackson, Variety, 8 June 2025
Observers had long wondered if the friendship between the two brash billionaires known for lobbing insults online would combust in dramatic fashion.
—Michelle L. Price, Twin Cities, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for combust
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combust
Verb
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Lapin and her family were among the more than 150,000 people throughout Los Angeles forced to evacuate their homes because of the blazes, which burned more than 40,000 acres and destroyed over 16,000 structures.—
Meredith Wilshere,
People.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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Historic data In 2024, California experienced 305 fires caused by lightning, resulting in 90,206 acres of wildland burned, according to NIFC records.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
14 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Meanwhile, the headphones, meant to unify the audience in a shared soundscape, instead isolate viewers into their glowing silos, which feels like an ironic choice for a show supposedly about communal grief.—
David Hochman,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
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As the glowing waning gibbous moon rose over center field, the Red Sox went quietly into the night one last time in the bottom of the ninth.—
Gabrielle Starr,
Boston Herald,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Huse torched ham in his backyard for Cuban sandwiches and celebrated birthdays with epic cakes and flaming desserts.—
Gabrielle Calise,
Miami Herald,
3 Sep. 2025
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The games featured will be some of the most impactful of the series yet, including one set at a shrine at night with flaming arrows raining down.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Combust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combust. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.
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