as in sweetheart
a person with whom one is in love
decided to look up an old flame while she was in town
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in to glow
to be on fire especially brightly
guests gathered around as the Yule log flamed brightly in the inn's great stone fireplace
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in to erupt
to develop suddenly and violently
my anger flamed when the usher told my friend to shut up
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
4
as in to gleam
to shoot forth bursts of light
the actress's ruby necklace flamed dazzlingly under the bright lights
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of flame
Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 7 Mar. 2026
Oria On Barton Springs Road, Oria’s menu pulls from Southern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean, built around shareable plates and open flames.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 7 Mar. 2026
William Earl, Variety, 20 Feb. 2026
In portraits that painted him with a flaming heart, or as a baby with his mother Mary, or seated at the center of a long table with other men on either side of him.
—Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flame
Noun
However, flame weeding before dandelion flowers set seed could help reduce populations in the future.
—Alexandra Jones, The Spruce, 7 Mar. 2026
Oria On Barton Springs Road, Oria’s menu pulls from Southern Europe and the Eastern Mediterranean, built around shareable plates and open flames.
—Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 7 Mar. 2026
Verb
The indelible flaming image ended up on the film’s original poster, yet it was borne out of a scrappy indie sensibility from writing and directing duo Kevin and Matthew McManus.
—William Earl, Variety, 20 Feb. 2026
In portraits that painted him with a flaming heart, or as a baby with his mother Mary, or seated at the center of a long table with other men on either side of him.
—Literary Hub, 18 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for flame
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flame
Noun
-
Ocean Springs, Mississippi Even the name of this Magnolia State sweetheart alludes to the type of idyllic experience that awaits visitors.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Small-town hairdresser Gail Daughtry is engaged to her devoted high school sweetheart, Tom.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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And so begins our journey, out from the Green Monster and onto the glowing screen.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
12 Mar. 2026
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In a period defined by constant notifications and glowing screens, the bedroom is increasingly being redesigned as a space for intentional disconnection.—
Jacorey Moon,
Architectural Digest,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
So how are Israelis handling the Iranian onslaught, which erupted a short eight months after the previous round of hostilities concluded?—
Michael M. Rosen,
The Washington Examiner,
13 Mar. 2026
-
As the lava advanced, the volcano erupted in a series of rare explosive bursts at the time.—
Jessica Mekles,
FOXNews.com,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Many works of Georges Méliès are even believed to have been burned as the original negatives, as the nitrate film stock is incredibly fragile and inflammable.—
Munis Raza,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
-
Vlad returns to find the protagonist and John trapped in the burning cabin and pulls them out.—
Meg Walters,
Glamour,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The gleaming rototiller that promises to do the hard work for you.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
9 Mar. 2026
-
The then-88-year-old building was shuttered in December 2002 when the gleaming $623 million, 464-bed John Stroger Hospital replaced it.—
Kori Rumore,
Chicago Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The final spot could come down to the Bison or Richmond, another mid-major darling that didn’t win its conference tournament.—
Grace Raynor,
New York Times,
9 Mar. 2026
-
If only—but at the end of the day, no food is a magic bullet, not even TikTok’s darlings.—
Caroline Tien,
SELF,
9 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Article continues below Unfortunately, a passing asteroid deposits a killer alien robot in their midst, and the soldiers must fend for themselves as this marauding mech stalks them with guns and lasers blazing.—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
10 Mar. 2026
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The sun would blaze the limestone steps.—
Danielle Parker,
CBS News,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Sudan slid into chaos in April 2023 when a power struggle between the military and the militant group exploded into open fighting in Khartoum and elsewhere in the country.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
12 Mar. 2026
-
Nineteenth-century naval mines exploded on contact.—
Jon R. Lindsay,
The Conversation,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flame. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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