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
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Recent Examples of combusting
Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY, 3 Oct. 2024
Verb
Crews detected no visible signs of the fire, such as flames, smoke or perceptibly combusting material.
—Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY, 3 Oct. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combusting
Adjective
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Please tell me the sequel could answer the most burning question of the ’00s: How could Austin not recognize Sam in that mask?—
Stephanie McNeal,
Glamour,
13 Aug. 2025
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Cooper, 30, asked Hargitay one more burning question about the actors' on-screen alter egos: will Olivia and Elliot ever end up together?—
Victoria Edel,
People.com,
26 June 2025
Verb
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Ahead of the season, the set has already garnered glowing reviews from Amazon shoppers for its versatility.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
3 Sep. 2025
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That interaction produces glowing arcs and rays of green and red light.—
Jamie Carter,
Forbes.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Adjective
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Competition, passive-aggressive zingers and hard feelings turn their relationship into a flaming hot mess.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
26 Aug. 2025
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Firemen spoke of seeing tenants sitting outside flaming buildings with their belongings neatly arranged beside them.—
Daniel Immerwahr,
New Yorker,
18 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Romain Dumas was the driver behind the blazing run.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
28 Aug. 2025
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Marigliano makes Coco a blazing force of nature who gets one of the movie’s most emotional scenes, late in the story, not to mention its hilarious closing line during the credits.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Combusting.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combusting. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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