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
Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 24 June 2025
The Heater-Stove was more of a tabletop-sized model that used a radiant heating element without a visible flame.
—New Atlas, 24 June 2025
Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2025
The flaming vehicles posed threats protestors may not have been fully aware of because of their unique design.
—Charles Singh, USA Today, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for flame
Noun
The Second World War and the Red Scare drove him toward a quasi-mystical visual language, more Marc Chagall than Diego Rivera, that relied on a growing menu of tropes: masks, rubble, blind people, flames.
—Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 24 June 2025
The Heater-Stove was more of a tabletop-sized model that used a radiant heating element without a visible flame.
—New Atlas, 24 June 2025
Verb
The president and the governor are having a momentous fight about constitutional rights in the courts, and flaming each other with insults and photoshopped memes on Truth Social and X.
The ICE raids have thrown some Angelenos into a state of fear and virtual hiding.
—Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 14 June 2025
The flaming vehicles posed threats protestors may not have been fully aware of because of their unique design.
—Charles Singh, USA Today, 12 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for flame
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flame
Noun
-
In one video of the reception, the bride and groom sit and share a kiss at a sweetheart table draped in white fabric and adorned with an abundance of florals.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
People.com,
23 June 2025
-
Thankfully, his wife, Trish, Matheson’s high-school sweetheart, stood by him, and his few remaining restaurant friends staged an intervention not long after.—
Stephen Rodrick,
Rolling Stone,
19 June 2025
Verb
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The first Tron had played out as a series of face-offs featuring glowing figures against a black background, replicating the blank environment of an arcade screen.—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
-
Miguel and Angel were grinning maniacs standing in the middle of the set with their arms around each other’s shoulders, like ballplayers after a winning game surrounded by a circle of glowing fans.—
Helen Schulman,
The Atlantic,
26 June 2025
Verb
-
More recently, the Ranch fire and the Henderson fire blazed across hundreds of acres, while the Lake fire erupted around 4 p.m. Pacific time on Saturday at the Silverwood Lake State Recreation Area in San Bernardino County and spread to 478 acres over the subsequent five hours.—
Chloe Mayer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 June 2025
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The world’s hottest soccer team, Paris Saint-Germain buried Inter Miami by the break, scoring in the sixth minute and erupting for three more goals within a six-minute span.—
Tom Krasovic,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
29 June 2025
Verb
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The pair, who met as college undergrads, both burned with idealism and recognized their privilege could be leveraged for a game-changing idea.—
Carole Horst,
Variety,
13 Sep. 2023
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The Ellen MacArthur Foundation promotes circular fashion and says that, in the United States, an amount of clothing equal to a garbage truck is ferried to landfills or burned every second.—
Neeti Mehra,
Treehugger,
13 Sep. 2023
Verb
-
Ranging from $45 to $55, the eight art prints in the capsule feature pre-framed designs that gleam with silver and gold foil detailing.—
Kelly Dawson,
Architectural Digest,
24 June 2025
-
The gleaming family-style kitchen that's both welcoming and chic.—
Elizabeth Hutchison Hicklin,
Southern Living,
24 June 2025
Noun
-
Despite the mockumentary being a critical darling, the premium cable network axed the comedy series after one season.—
Armando Tinoco,
Deadline,
27 June 2025
-
Theranos, once a darling of Silicon Valley, promised to revolutionize blood testing.—
Oscar Chavez-Arrieta,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
Verb
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More than five months ago, the Eaton wildfire blazed through this Greater Los Angeles community of Altadena.—
Melanie Stetson Freeman,
Christian Science Monitor,
20 June 2025
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National Park Service When the summer sun is blazing, there’s no better way to cool off than by heading underground.—
Erin Gifford,
USA Today,
18 June 2025
Verb
-
The number of craft breweries exploded from around 1,500 to over 5,000.—
Joe Chura,
Rolling Stone,
25 June 2025
-
The 30,000-pound bombs burrow deep into the earth before exploding.—
Cybele Mayes-Osterman,
USA Today,
25 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flame. Accessed 5 Jul. 2025.
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