as in darlings
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 burns
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 erupts
to develop suddenly and violently
my anger flamed when the usher told my friend to shut up
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in glows
to shine with a bright harsh light
the noonday sun flamed down on the desert travelers
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in gleams
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 flames
Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 23 June 2026
Westeros will be engulfed in flames as the Dance of the Dragons sweeps away knights riding their mighty creatures and entire armies.
—Francesca Pellegrini, Vanity Fair, 22 June 2026
The building is so big, and the flames are in such hard-to-reach areas, that firefighters have needed to get creative with their approach, using water-dropping helicopters and other heavy equipment.
—Arkansas Online, 21 June 2026
The Iron Fire is burning in Juab County, about 28 miles southwest of Provo, and officials said on Sunday that flames are bearing down on Eureka, Utah, a small town in the East Tintic Mountains.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 21 June 2026
Rinderknecht spotted flames 12 minutes past midnight and immediately called 911 multiple times, Haney told jurors.
—Jack Hannah, CNN Money, 21 June 2026
Aerial footage showed large flames burning near a cul-de-sac of homes as helicopters made water drops and hand crews on the ground worked to create a containment line.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2026
Firefighters battled the flames for hours.
—Susan Young, PEOPLE, 15 June 2026
Noun
Crews arrived and found flames on the first floor of a two-story rowhome.
—Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 23 June 2026
Westeros will be engulfed in flames as the Dance of the Dragons sweeps away knights riding their mighty creatures and entire armies.
—Francesca Pellegrini, Vanity Fair, 22 June 2026
The building is so big, and the flames are in such hard-to-reach areas, that firefighters have needed to get creative with their approach, using water-dropping helicopters and other heavy equipment.
—Arkansas Online, 21 June 2026
The Iron Fire is burning in Juab County, about 28 miles southwest of Provo, and officials said on Sunday that flames are bearing down on Eureka, Utah, a small town in the East Tintic Mountains.
—Bill Hutchinson, ABC News, 21 June 2026
Rinderknecht spotted flames 12 minutes past midnight and immediately called 911 multiple times, Haney told jurors.
—Jack Hannah, CNN Money, 21 June 2026
Aerial footage showed large flames burning near a cul-de-sac of homes as helicopters made water drops and hand crews on the ground worked to create a containment line.
—Ruben Vives, Los Angeles Times, 16 June 2026
Firefighters battled the flames for hours.
—Susan Young, PEOPLE, 15 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flames
Noun
-
Despite Algeria becoming the local darlings of Lawrence, KC Live!—
Ben Wheeler,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
-
New Zealand filmmakers Danny and Michael Philippou — twins better known by their nom de YouTube RackkaRackka, where their violent, nutso videos were embraced by millions of viewers — became indie darlings thanks to their 2022 hit for A24, Talk to Me.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Kishnani’s now 48 but the exclusion still burns.—
Rhea Mogul,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
-
Destined only to be savoured as a dream, while the world still burns around you.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 June 2026
Verb
-
The crowd erupts, and Messi will get his curtain call.—
The Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
17 June 2026
-
Gold is a safe-haven asset that investors gravitate toward when economic and political turmoil erupts, sending waves through the markets.—
Liz Knueven,
CNBC,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
The speakeasy-style room glows with a gold-leaf ceiling, ochre velvet sofas, and an extravagant cocktail menu.—
Jim Dobson,
Forbes.com,
18 June 2026
-
His writing glows with his obvious love of plants and animals, not least his faithful dog, Roger.—
Rachel Syme,
New Yorker,
10 June 2026
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
Noun
-
The couple, who are both from Kentucky, are high school sweethearts and have been together since 2016.—
Lynsey Eidell,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
-
After first crossing paths in secondary school, Eve’s parents, Ali and Bono, became high school sweethearts.—
Bailey Bujnosek,
InStyle,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Fewer, but more ‘devastating’ blazes That the world suffered fewer acres torched by wildfires in 2025 likely comes as little relief to the countries and cities that battled the infernos last year.—
Tristan Bove,
Fortune,
1 June 2026
-
That’s the two-seamer that kind of blazes a trail in.—
Jayson Stark,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
But a couple of pages later, his capsule encounters a meteoroid which explodes nearby.—
Neil Oseman,
Space.com,
14 June 2026
-
Most newcomers fade out or establish only a small population, but every so often a species explodes on the scene and becomes problematic.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
9 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flames.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flames. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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