scorched 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of scorchednext
as in burned

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scorched

2 of 2

verb

past tense of scorch
1
as in charred
to burn on the surface the picnickers kept scorching their marshmallows, deliberately sticking their skewers into the licking flames of the campfire

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in dried
to make dry weeks of drought had badly scorched the soil

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 scorched
Adjective
If possible, wait until the extreme temperatures cool to apply pesticides that can cause scorched leaves. — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 20 June 2026 Later the day of the arson, a young man with scorched hands faced an FBI agent and others investigating the crime. — Jennifer Berry Hawes, ProPublica, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
This has always been a heated game, the rivalry burning hot long before Kiffin scorched the Earth on his way out the door. — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 20 Sep. 2026 In 2019 another blaze there, also dubbed the Getty Fire, scorched more than 700 acres. — Tom Tapp, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for scorched
Recent Examples of Synonyms for scorched
  1. burned
  2. charred
  3. dried
  4. seared
  5. incinerated
  6. scorching
Adjective
  • Designed to function like an ice resurfacer, BurnBot lays down pre-burned paths that define the boundaries of burn areas.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 15 Nov. 2025
  • Yeager said none of the non-burned areas of the facility have been turned on again.
    — Paul Rogers, Mercury News, 13 Aug. 2025
Definition of burned
Verb
  • Police on Tuesday arrested a suspect in the arson attack that charred the historic city hall in Limoges, in central France, Justice Minister Gérald Darmanin said, adding that the person may not have acted alone.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The South Fork and Salt fires charred the landscape, leaving soils that didn’t easily absorb water.
    — Abe Streep, ProPublica, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of charred
Verb
  • The language, the words, the people, the sentiment erased, the websites vanished, the funds dried, and the true spirit of self-interest revealed.
    — Kamau Bobb October 21, Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026
  • This is a cold washed process bean, meaning the cherry pulp is washed away from the bean before it’s put in cold storage for 72 hours and then dried.
    — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of dried
Adjective
  • There are also raw bar offerings, salads and vegetable sides, along with cooked seafood like octopus and seared scallops.
    — Connie Ogle, Miami Herald, 23 Oct. 2026
  • On seared proteins, the fat reinforces the meat’s own character rather than competing with it.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 12 Oct. 2026
Definition of seared
Adjective
  • Grace, her white lace dress blackened with blood, is smoking a cigarette outside of an incinerated mansion that belongs to her in-laws, the Le Domas, who are all dead.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 19 Mar. 2026
  • Know More Initially founded in 2012 with a $5 million dollar grant from the John Templeton Foundation, Nautilus incinerated cash, sparing no expense in its pursuit of bringing resplendent literary science to the reading public.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 16 Feb. 2026
Definition of incinerated
Adjective
  • For example, just recently, Musk publicly scolded the CEO of Delta in a scorching post on X when the airline did not partner with Starlink to provide Wi-Fi on Delta flights.
    — Jeffrey Sonnenfeld and Steven Tian, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Large areas of Europe saw scorching temperatures this summer, with widespread wildfires, and at least 35,000 excess deaths thought to have been linked to the heat.
    — Robbie Griffiths, NPR, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of scorching

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Cite this Entry

“Scorched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/scorched. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

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