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flames 1 of 2

noun

plural of flame
as in darlings
a person with whom one is in love decided to look up an old flame while she was in town

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flames

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of flame
1
as in burns
to be on fire especially brightly guests gathered around as the Yule log flamed brightly in the inn's great stone fireplace

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2
as in erupts
to develop suddenly and violently my anger flamed when the usher told my friend to shut up

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3
as in glows
to shine with a bright harsh light the noonday sun flamed down on the desert travelers

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4
as in gleams
to shoot forth bursts of light the actress's ruby necklace flamed dazzlingly under the bright lights

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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 flames
Noun
Instead of calling for calm and letting the justice system work, too many political leaders on the left and progressive social influencers either fanned the flames of unrest or failed to act until enormous damage was done. — Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026 Deputies at times exchanged fire with Spencer from distances of roughly 27 to 30 feet while flames burned through the surrounding forest. — Nicole Buss, Sacbee.com, 22 Sep. 2026 For renters, parents of small kids, pet owners and anyone in a home where open flames are impractical, that trade-off has turned a novelty gadget into a category regulars restock every year. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2026 But the point of this incantation isn’t only to fan the flames of women’s terror. — Eleanor Johnson, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026 Our conversation danced like the flames, and sparks flew (literally and metaphorically) as Quinn cut and hammered iron. — Sarah Wood González, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Sep. 2026 His team of five engines joined just a few others that had been battling the blaze alone for hours, as its flames rapidly spread. — Emily Mae Czachor, CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026 The video, which was captured from The Mark on Brickell Bay, a nearby condo building, showed one of the cars in flames and a plume of black smoke. — David Goodhue, Miami Herald, 14 Sep. 2026 Ever since, the two teams have swapped victories each season, with Kiffin stoking the flames. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 14 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flames
  1. darlings
  2. burns
  3. erupts
  4. glows
  5. gleams
  6. sweethearts
  7. blazes
  8. explodes
Noun
  • And things just got more complicated with the 10-year Treasury yield hitting a level not seen since 2007, oil prices holding above the triple-digit levels, and an AI sell-off wiping trillions of dollars from some of Wall Street's AI darlings.
    — Leonie Kidd, CNBC, 15 Sep. 2026
  • As for drugstore darlings, don’t miss this top-selling CeraVe night cream that targets dryness, texture, and wrinkles or this Pantene hair mask that acts as a deep conditioner to repair damage and protect against breakage.
    — Clara McMahon, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of darlings
Verb
  • As political fix-it man, Fox burns some comic octane, his sense of timing and talent for the right gesture put to good use here.
    — Miles Beller, HollywoodReporter, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Building these connections has to begin long before a fire starts, continue while the fire burns and endure long after the fire has ended.
    — Matt Thompson, The Conversation, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of burns
Verb
  • Unfortunately, in the real world, bad behavior erupts at high school games — fights and even worse.
    — Jerald McNair, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The violence that has been simmering with the Ploughman now erupts into a revolution joined by thousands and thousands of peasants.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of erupts
Verb
  • Shabana Azeez glows in gold, and Supriya Ganesh shimmers in an icy blue gown.
    — Breanne L. Heldman, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Why the dead girl’s computer glows with an unnatural brightness whenever the lights turn off?
    — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of glows
Verb
  • Like Beckham’s dress, the 100-percent silk dress softly gleams in the light.
    — Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025
  • Despite a couple of funky skips, the album is fueled by the hunger of an artist who really wants the pop life again, perking up electro-scuzz and arena rock with new wave that gleams like glitter.
    — Pitchfork, Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2025
Definition of gleams
Noun
  • Lois and Billy were childhood sweethearts and had been in a relationship since the age of 16.
    — Stuart James, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The couple were high school sweethearts who married in 2013 and had three children together, family members told KTIV.
    — Samira Asma-Sadeque, PEOPLE, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of sweethearts
Verb
  • As the flames approached the community in July, the majority of the village’s 3,500 residents were forced to flee their homes, as hundreds of firefighters were deployed to tackle blazes more violent and unpredictable than in previous years.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Calmer winds and cooler temperatures assisted fire crews in their battle against the Spokane blazes Monday, but temperature are anticipated to climb back into the 90s by Wednesday and continue to push firefighters to their limits.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of blazes
Verb
  • Directed by Venice prize-winner John Swab, Copperhead‘s plot is thrust into motion when an undercover drug deal explodes into violence.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 8 Sep. 2026
  • That explodes into action in one startlingly seedy scene involving a rape in full view of revelers at a hotel party.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of explodes

Phrases Containing flames

Browse Nearby Words

flamers
flames
flames out
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Cite this Entry

“Flames.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flames. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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