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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of flame
Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
The tests were conducted under various loads and combustion conditions, allowing for an assessment of the impact of flame position on the boiler’s thermal performance and heating surface operation.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2025
David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
The La Familia margaritas came out with a flaming sugar cube.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flame
Noun
Rekindled flames Jordan revealed that Mike and Megan dated for a short time after the show finished filming.
—Sydney Bucksbaum, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025
The tests were conducted under various loads and combustion conditions, allowing for an assessment of the impact of flame position on the boiler’s thermal performance and heating surface operation.
—Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 30 Oct. 2025
Verb
Firefighters extinguished a flaming boat behind a Florida Keys home Tuesday afternoon, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
—David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2025
The La Familia margaritas came out with a flaming sugar cube.
—Ella Gonzales, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for flame
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flame
Noun
-
Recently that ranged from a man in his 70s who lost his childhood sweetheart to cancer to a woman who was burying her beloved horse.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
25 Oct. 2025
-
Flacco and his wife were high school sweethearts who met in their New Jersey hometown.—
Natasha Dye,
PEOPLE,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Shaped like glowing maple leaves, the six-piece set brings all the cozy fall vibes while brightening up driveways, walkways, and garden paths.—
Mariana Best,
Better Homes & Gardens,
25 Oct. 2025
-
The Emerald Cave glows bright green when sunlight hits the water just right.—
Evie Carrick,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Three days after a UPS cargo plane crashed and erupted into a deadly ball of fire in an industrial part of Louisville, Kentucky, investigators are piecing together evidence in a slow search for answers.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Days after he was elected in September, his to-do list got even longer when the Jimmy Kimmel-ABC crisis erupted, followed by the arrival of AI ingenue Tilly Norwood and the Sora 2 flap involving Bryan Cranston.—
Cynthia Littleton,
Variety,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Sometimes lightning hits the mountainside and splits or burns a tree.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
There's a burning frustration like in the rest of the country.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Filler shots of chauffeurs, champagne and colossal walk-in closets with pristine designer clobber glistening and gleaming from glass shelves centred around trays and trays of priceless jewels assault the viewer’s senses between almost every scene.—
Alejandra Gularte,
Vulture,
5 Nov. 2025
-
The gleaming new location comprises 12 floors at Two Manhattan West, the final skyscraper in Brookfield’s eight-acre development between Moynihan Train Hall and Hudson Yards.—
Eva Roytburg,
Fortune,
5 Nov. 2025
Noun
-
MacKenzie-Childs Tartan Red Rattan Party Serving Tray With this darling MacKenzie-Childs serving tray, you’re bound to be the hostess with the mostess come the holiday season.—
Alicia Geigel,
Southern Living,
4 Nov. 2025
-
This year, exhibitors had to rely on an ecclectic batch of holdovers, rereleases, including Back to the Future, and the expansion of Focus Features’ awards darling and specialty offering Bugonia.—
Pamela McClintock,
HollywoodReporter,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Dudinha opened the scoring for San Diego, dribbling through the Current defense before blazing a shot through the legs of her Brazilian compatriot, Lorena.—
Daniel Sperry,
Kansas City Star,
2 Nov. 2025
-
Kibbutz Be’eri resident and triathlete Meydan was saved while out biking on October 7 by Bedouin worker Hisham Alkarnawi as Hamas fighters closed in, guns blazing.—
Dominic Patten,
Deadline,
30 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Propane tanks are actually more likely to explode due to excessive heat in the summer.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Autumn is when the park really explodes in color.—
Karthika Gupta,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Flame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flame. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share