1
as in boiling
having a notably high temperature
in our air-conditioned office, we were oblivious to the searing heat outside
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in harsh
difficult to endure
the undersecretary looked chastened as he listened to the congressman's searing rebuke
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in drying
to make dry
the clear desert air is seared by the summer sun
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 searing
Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2025
Theron’s performance as the one-armed warrior Furiosa is one for the ages—stoic, searing and unbearably emotional beneath the surface.
—Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Like all the great football speedsters who have gone before, the time will come when Mbappe has to adapt to the loss of his searing top-end pace.
—Mark Carey, The Athletic, 17 Feb. 2025
The main topic of conversation was how the duo turned a photo album featuring the banal daily activities of workers at Auschwitz-Birkenau into a searing play.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for searing
Adjective
Stir-frying is a method of quickly searing and cooking bite-size pieces of protein and vegetables in a splash of oil over high heat.
—Lynda Balslev, Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2025
Theron’s performance as the one-armed warrior Furiosa is one for the ages—stoic, searing and unbearably emotional beneath the surface.
—Travis Bean, Forbes.com, 29 Mar. 2025
Like all the great football speedsters who have gone before, the time will come when Mbappe has to adapt to the loss of his searing top-end pace.
—Mark Carey, The Athletic, 17 Feb. 2025
The main topic of conversation was how the duo turned a photo album featuring the banal daily activities of workers at Auschwitz-Birkenau into a searing play.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for searing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for searing
Adjective
-
One idea is that about a million years after the Big Bang, the universe cooled and underwent a phase transition, an event similar to how boiling water turns liquid into gas.—
Yasemin Saplakoglu,
Scientific American,
3 Mar. 2020
-
If candy is still stuck on, pour more boiling water over whatever hasn’t come clean.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
3 Dec. 2019
Adjective
-
Hope reigns even in this harsh political climate we Americans are now experiencing.—
Bea L. Hines,
Miami Herald,
17 Apr. 2025
-
With harsh conditions and adversaries threatening to end the Dutton legacy, Spencer (Brandon Sklenar) embarks on an arduous journey home, racing against time to save his family in Montana.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
16 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Ben Johnson has a ‘burning desire’ to be a head coach.—
Brad Biggs,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Feb. 2025
-
For answers to more burning questions about Season 2, plus Season 3 clues (including which Season 1 character will be coming back), read Deadline’s interview with The Night Agent showrunner Shawn Ryan.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
But graduating in 2009 meant stepping into a brutal job market during the Great Recession.—
William Jones,
USA Today,
19 Apr. 2025
-
Andrews adds musical interludes, which don’t always work, and brutal jokes, which do.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Stray animals are also at risk of suffering from heat exhaustion during scorching summers.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
Newsweek,
2 Jan. 2025
-
Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid scorching the milk.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
28 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Whether the same can be said of his remaining time at the club will be a hot topic come the summer window.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
-
Dozens of children tragically perish each year in cars that quickly heat up when left in the hot sun, even if the temperatures don't feel hot out.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The Collector is also hoping these will satiate the growing wants of his oppressive overlord, The Forger (Roddy Ricch), who has mysterious motives of his own.—
Courtney Howard,
Variety,
17 Apr. 2025
-
The current war in Sudan involves civil strife and shifting allegiances, in which one oppressive regime was toppled by a coalition, which then turned in on itself, leading to an even more vicious war.—
Lawrence D. Freedman,
Foreign Affairs,
14 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
The core, which is made up of molten iron, generates electrical currents.—
Laura Baisas,
Popular Science,
16 Apr. 2025
-
Recent research, however, has proposed a promising answer: the molten Martian core likely generated a magnetic field that only covered the Red Planet’s southern hemisphere.—
Jack Knudson,
Discover Magazine,
16 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Searing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/searing. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share