sear 1 of 2

verb

ˈsir How to pronounce sear (audio)
Definition of searnext
1
as in to char
to burn on the surface lightly sear the steaks, but don't cook them all the way through

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in to dry
to make dry the clear desert air is seared by the summer sun

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

sear

2 of 2

noun

as in burn

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 sear
Verb
The tacos consist of a fresh burger patty that is seared, chopped and combined with sautéed onions and jalapeños. — Briauna Brown, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026 The cataclysm is indelibly seared into La Guaira’s collective consciousness. — Mery Mogollón, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
Noun
Plus, the grill includes a warming rack, a dedicated sear zone, and an infrared rotisserie burner. — Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 5 July 2026 And for that classic, crispy char, get yourself some GrillGrates, which sit on existing grill grates to give you a hard sear. — Francesca Krempa, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for sear
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sear
  1. char
  2. dry
  3. burn
  4. scorch
  5. scar
  6. scald
  7. harm
  8. hurt
Verb
  • The storefront, gaping and charred, looked like someone had taken a bulldozer and pushed flaming cars inside.
    — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Ivan Datsiv, an IT worker, was in his apartment in Kyiv’s Podil district when a Russian drone tore through the floor on Tuesday, charring the ceilings and walls of his apartment and completely destroying the one next door.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of char
Verb
  • The text is written on parchment made from sheep, fleeced, their hides soaked in lime, stretched and dried.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 10 Sep. 2026
  • After washing, the appliance can move through steam sanitization and hot-air drying before entering a 72-hour antibacterial storage mode, which circulates filtered air to help keep cleaned parts dry and ready for use.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of dry
Noun
  • Eliminating the burn zone WJGL technology is a precision manufacturing method that couples a high-power laser inside a microscopic, 50-micrometer stream of high-pressure water surrounded by protective shielding gas.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Two of the children suffered untreated burns that left significant scarring, according to Uthmeier's office.
    — Natasha Holt, FOXNews.com, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of burn
Verb
  • Sudan’s civil war turned its national museum into a battlefield and crime scene, with ancient statues shattered, skeletal remains scorched and vaults of gold looted.
    — Nabih Bulos, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
  • The right side of the plane had what appeared to be scorch marks.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of scorch
Noun
  • Cardiac arrhythmia ablation, according to the British Heart Foundation, is when heat or cold energy is used to create tiny scars in the heart to block faulty signals and restore a typical heartbeat.
    — Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Wildfire burn scars increase the chances for flash-flooding events.
    — Hali Smith, Idaho Statesman, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of scar
Noun
  • An autopsy revealed Gocaj’s cause of death as a combination of scald burns with inhalational thermal injury and blunt force trauma of the torso.
    — Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 17 July 2026
  • Donike Goncaj, 56, fell into the manhole at 52nd Street and Fifth Avenue on May 18 and died of scald burns and thermal inhalation from the steam.
    — Aaron Katersky, ABC News, 17 July 2026
Definition of scald
Noun
  • The second was King Philip’s War in the 1670s, which was a massive uprising in response to the harms of colonialism.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Sam eventually escapes her assailants and seemingly stops Charlie from enduring further harm.
    — Savannah Walsh, Vanity Fair, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of harm
Noun
  • The Giants have a lot of hurt players, but other teams will struggle to protect all of their best prospects.
    — Grant Brisbee, New York Times, 4 Sep. 2026
  • That’s why losing her hurts so much Duncan Hines and Parton expanded the product line a year later, adding Dolly Parton's Buttermilk Biscuit Mix and Sweet Cornbread & Muffin Mix, plus a Fabulously Fudgy Brownie Mix and Caramel Turtle Brownie Mix.
    — Mike Snider, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of hurt

Browse Nearby Words

seaquakes
sear
search
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Sear.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sear. Accessed 14 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of empirical

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
funny guinea pig in glasses reading a book
Challenging Words You Should Know Vol 2 Words to the wise
See All