as in burning
being on fire
combusting oxygen tanks turned the fire on the evacuees' bus into a raging inferno
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in glowing
to be on fire especially brightly
anthracite, which is naturally hard, combusts more cleanly than bituminous coal
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of combusting
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Mar. 2026
Crews detected no visible signs of the fire, such as flames, smoke or perceptibly combusting material.
—
Thao Nguyen,
USA TODAY,
3 Oct. 2024
After dozens of fires caused by combusting batteries used in electric scooters and bikes in recent years, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is set to consider imposing new restrictions on the rechargeable devices on Tuesday.
—
Nora Mishanec,
San Francisco Chronicle,
4 Dec. 2023
Verb
The element of surprise has mostly worn off, even if Grace tells Faith that one never really gets used to people spontaneously combusting right in front of you.
—
Angie Han,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Mar. 2026
Crews detected no visible signs of the fire, such as flames, smoke or perceptibly combusting material.
—
Thao Nguyen,
USA TODAY,
3 Oct. 2024
After dozens of fires caused by combusting batteries used in electric scooters and bikes in recent years, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors is set to consider imposing new restrictions on the rechargeable devices on Tuesday.
—
Nora Mishanec,
San Francisco Chronicle,
4 Dec. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combusting
Adjective
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In the case of the cross-burning incident, there is no comparison to the Jussie Smollett case.
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Some people drove or walked by, staring, and a video of the cross-burning gained traction online.
Verb
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Aemond, without his eyepatch and his artificial eye glowing eerily, does find satisfaction.
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The best antiaging devices have the latest technology to give you glowing, radiant skin at home.
Adjective
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Alpha Camp − Nikki Hru, Maddy Jones, Leiya Pillitteri − had seemed giddy with confidence before the flaming arrow competition.
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Soon enough, they’re joined by Thomas and oldest brother Franck, the brains of the operation, played by Magimel in a tan suit and semi-transparent shades— less flaming psychopath, more two-bit gangster given his Three Stooges-esque, family-run operation.
Verb
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Forecasters warn of triple-digit heat indices and blazing hot temperatures that could break records and linger through Independence Day.
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The blazing Greek summer will offer an initial test.
Adjective
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Casting two of the most smoldering contemporary actors on the planet clearly stacks the deck, and carries on the long tradition of pairing a dashing figure of brooding handsomeness (Laurence Olivier, Ralph Fiennes) with a breathless screen beauty (Merle Oberon, Juliette Binoche).
Cite this Entry
“Combusting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combusting. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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