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
Co-pilot radioed and texted about ice and turbulence The Learjet hit the ground with enough force to create a crater before bursting into flames. — Josh Funk, Chicago Tribune, 3 Nov. 2026 The pilot tried to abort but lost control; the jet crashed through a fence, crossed a five-lane highway, came to rest on an embankment and burst into flames. — Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 3 Nov. 2026 The jet slammed nose-first like a missile into a busy Palm Beach County road, before erupting into flames and sending thick black smoke into the sky, dashcam video shows. — Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2026 It's been almost two years since the Eaton Fire destroyed thousands of homes, but for those who survived the flames, soil health remains a concern. — Joy Benedict, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2026 Nine people died when the jet nose-dived into the South Florida neighborhood and erupted in flames, according to the nation’s transportation secretary. — Amy Beth Bennett, Sun Sentinel, 2 Nov. 2026 Crews disconnected the trailer from the warehouse and moved it away from the building before extinguishing the flames, preventing the fire from spreading inside, officials said. — Sacbee.com, 2 Nov. 2026 The Learjet hit the ground with enough force to create a crater before bursting into flames. — Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026 Video footage released by the intelligence service showed a person climbing the ladder of a building’s fire escape, followed by brief flashes and flames engulfing a building. — Stephen McGrath, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flames
  1. darlings
  2. burns
  3. erupts
  4. glows
  5. gleams
  6. sweethearts
  7. blazes
  8. explodes
Noun
  • Today, the Mexico City GP is recognized as one of the Formula 1 circuit’s intercontinental darlings.
    — Alan Chazaro, Condé Nast Traveler, 26 Oct. 2026
  • The Gators went from the darlings of college football to deservedly unranked in just a few weeks after an embarrassing blowout loss at home to South Carolina.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of darlings
Verb
  • Freedom without a revenue tether burns cash faster than any downturn will.
    — Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Burn rate Rice paper tends to burn slowest, while hemp burns at a moderate rate, and wood pulp burns very quickly.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of burns
Verb
  • Emergency declared at South Carolina nuclear site after fire erupts at lab.
    — , FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026
  • When Hanne, a staff member of a struggling animal rescue, unexpectedly becomes executor of a wealthy hunting family’s estate, a bitter battle over the inheritance erupts.
    — Annika Pham, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of erupts
Verb
  • Or, try Green Eyed Monster from Mooncat, a pearly white shimmer that glows neon green in the dark.
    — Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 24 Oct. 2026
  • Bel glows with a kind of rude Californian health and goes once a week for chiropractic adjustments, including of her jaw.
    — Alessandra Codinha, Vogue, 23 Oct. 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
  • Goebbels interviewed Wessel’s grieving mother and wrote of Jaenichen and Wessel as childhood sweethearts, as though their story was from romance fiction.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Gregory's mother-in-law told The Telegraph the couple were school sweethearts who had been together for over 20 years.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of sweethearts
Verb
  • Continue reading … JONATHAN TURLEY — Justice Alito blazes the ethical path the Supreme Court should take.
    — , FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of blazes
Verb
  • In other words, desire, in an unrepressed form, explodes the channels through which it is expected to flow.
    — Shanti Escalante-De Mattei, ARTnews.com, 26 Oct. 2026
  • In the video, shared by Nixon on Instagram, Benton, Baranski and others in full regalia (bustles, corsets, the whole nine yards) huddle around the iPad of John Douglas Thompson, who plays Peggy’s father, before the room explodes.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of explodes

Phrases Containing flames

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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 5 Nov. 2026.

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