as in piles
a quantity of wood heaped together for burning a dead body
a funeral pyre
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Recent Examples of pyres
Carcasses of trees are piled up like pyres in one; in another, they are laid flat like a mass grave.
—
Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 23 Feb. 2026
Varanasi was quite an experience, seeing the funeral pyres.
—Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 16 Feb. 2026
Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 23 Feb. 2026
Varanasi was quite an experience, seeing the funeral pyres.
—Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 16 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pyres
Noun
-
On Saturday morning, piles of bricks and mud were all that were left, along with blankets, cooking utensils and other personal belongings salvaged from the rubble and set into a pile.—
Elena Becatoros,
Los Angeles Times,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Start with one dedicated space and make piles for keep, toss, and donate.—
Alora Bopray,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
From crumbling stacks of CDs — featuring Prince, Paul Simon, Kylie Minogue, and PJ Harvey — to old jewelry boxes, and even her beloved first copy of Brothers Grimm’s Fairytale, every item held countless memories that helped Humberstone shape her second album Cruel World.—
Maya Georgi,
Rolling Stone,
6 Apr. 2026
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Symmetrical pillow stacks on sofas and beds are starting to feel dated.—
Marisa Suzanne Martin,
The Spruce,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
For most of the year, the animals roam the island’s northern pastures, hills and cliffs, but in the days before Christmas, they’re rounded up and brought to the shearing pens.—
NPR,
NPR,
4 Apr. 2026
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In less than 10 minutes, a wooden bridge deposits us on the doorstep of a cinematic landscape that unfurls into a seemingly endless patchwork of rolling hills and glens in hues of umber, cinnamon, and ochre, flanked by mountains standing sentinel on either side.—
Jen Murphy,
Robb Report,
4 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Baristas sprinkled shredded phyllo dough over top heaps of cold foam.—
Jenna Thompson
April 1,
Kansas City Star,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Preston is an accomplished author with six novels under his belt, and has written heaps for major publications like the NYT, The Guardian, and the Financial Times.—
Frank Landymore,
Futurism,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pyres.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pyres. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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