searing 1 of 2

adjective

ˈsir-iŋ How to pronounce searing (audio)
Definition of searingnext
1
as in boiling
having a notably high temperature in our air-conditioned office, we were oblivious to the searing heat outside

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2
as in harsh
difficult to endure the undersecretary looked chastened as he listened to the congressman's searing rebuke

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searing

2 of 2

verb

present participle of sear
1
as in charring
to burn on the surface lightly sear the steaks, but don't cook them all the way through

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

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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 searing
Adjective
The rolling mountain landscape becomes an undulating patchwork quilt of searing scarlets, terracottas, vermillions, and more. — Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026 Once the film was released, critics widely praised Page’s searing performance as the doomed Greek soldier Sinon, and even some of Page’s detractors online were won over by his work. — James Hibberd, HollywoodReporter, 2 Sep. 2026
Verb
Cover the pan briefly while searing to help the meat heat through without drying out. — Erin Merhar, Southern Living, 15 July 2026 Split the links lengthwise before searing to maximize crispy edges. — Joe Sevier, Bon Appetit Magazine, 26 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for searing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for searing
  1. boiling
  2. harsh
  3. charring
  4. drying
  5. burning
  6. brutal
  7. scorching
  8. hot
Adjective
  • More humane methods of killing lobsters pre-boiling include a sharp knife through the head, electrical stunning, or freezing.
    — semafor.com, semafor.com, 29 Dec. 2025
  • Agrawal and her team studied ionic liquids — salts that are liquid at sub-boiling temperatures (below 212 degrees Fahrenheit, or 100 degrees Celsius) — as a potential hospitable environment for life.
    — Stefanie Waldek, Space.com, 13 Aug. 2025
Definition of boiling
Adjective
  • Avoid acidic cleaners like vinegar or lemon, as well as harsh chemicals and abrasive tools, to protect the glaze.
    — Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 5 Sep. 2026
  • The frustration within the Democratic caucus immediately prompted some calls for harsh consequences.
    — Zachary Schermele, USA Today, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of harsh
Verb
  • 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
  • Morawetz also points to baking and air-frying as favorite preparation methods, noting that charring or blackening from direct high-heat grilling can be linked to health risks.
    — Embry Roberts, Martha Stewart, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of charring
Verb
  • 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
  • The machine then completes a 55-minute drying process, reducing the need to move bottles and pump parts to a separate drying rack.
    — Wyles Daniel, USA Today, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of drying
Adjective
  • Prosecutors said some of the money was used for recruiting new members and purchasing Ku Klux Klan robes and materials for cross-burning ceremonies.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 July 2026
  • In the case of the cross-burning incident, there is no comparison to the Jussie Smollett case.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026
Definition of burning
Adjective
  • When everything changed, as the dust literally settled on the most brutal terror attack on United States soil, the prevailing impulse among NFL owners was to play the games.
    — Michael Silver, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The cuts and the freezing of public funding for the film industry have been brutal for Argentine cinema.
    — Roberto Prieto, Variety, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of brutal
Verb
  • Only one other spacecraft, NASA’s Messenger, has explored the puzzling, scorching planet that is just a little bigger than our moon.
    — Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Prolonged periods of drought are scorching French pastures, leeching them of their usual lush green vitality and leaving behind parched, lifeless yellow fields.
    — Vivian Song, CNN Money, 6 Sep. 2026
Definition of scorching
Adjective
  • Its hot iron core -- oversized for such a small world -- cools and contracts along with the mantle and crust, tightening the surface like a girdle to fit its new slimmer self.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Planar coils simplify stellarator engineering Stellarators use magnetic fields to confine the extremely hot plasma required for fusion.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of hot

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Cite this Entry

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

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