as in burned
to set (something) on fire
police suspect that the owner torched the house for the insurance money
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Recent Examples of torched
Her daughter’s car was among those torched, leaving her without a way of getting to work.
—
Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 26 points and 8 assists, and Holmgren torched the Knicks for 28 points on 6-of-11 shooting from three-point range.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 5 Mar. 2026
Investigations revealed that the embers from the fire were possibly rekindled by powerful Santa Ana winds less than a week later, leading to the Palisades Fire, which destroyed thousands of homes and buildings, killed a dozen people and torched more than 23,000 acres of land.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
Thomas was able to flee and the Maserati that was seen driving was later found torched, but authorities were still able to take fingerprints and DNA from the vehicle that matched Thomas, Pekara said.
—William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026
When healthy, Wilson set spring game records with 10 catches for 195 yards and later torched Texas for six catches for 111 yards and two scores — program records for a true freshman in his first career start.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2026
After El Mencho’s death, gang members unleashed violence, with cars torched and blocked roads in at least 20 Mexican states, forcing people to shelter in place.
—Dallas Morning News, Twin Cities, 1 Mar. 2026
The Knicks never sent aggressive help at Detroit’s Cade Cunningham when the MVP candidate torched them last week.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
The operation set off a wave of civil unrest, with vehicles being torched and gunmen, believed to be supported of Oseguera, blocking highways in a more than a dozen states.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
Senior Editor, Los Angeles Times, 6 Mar. 2026
Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 26 points and 8 assists, and Holmgren torched the Knicks for 28 points on 6-of-11 shooting from three-point range.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 5 Mar. 2026
Investigations revealed that the embers from the fire were possibly rekindled by powerful Santa Ana winds less than a week later, leading to the Palisades Fire, which destroyed thousands of homes and buildings, killed a dozen people and torched more than 23,000 acres of land.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 4 Mar. 2026
Thomas was able to flee and the Maserati that was seen driving was later found torched, but authorities were still able to take fingerprints and DNA from the vehicle that matched Thomas, Pekara said.
—William Lee, Chicago Tribune, 4 Mar. 2026
When healthy, Wilson set spring game records with 10 catches for 195 yards and later torched Texas for six catches for 111 yards and two scores — program records for a true freshman in his first career start.
—Edgar Thompson, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 Mar. 2026
After El Mencho’s death, gang members unleashed violence, with cars torched and blocked roads in at least 20 Mexican states, forcing people to shelter in place.
—Dallas Morning News, Twin Cities, 1 Mar. 2026
The Knicks never sent aggressive help at Detroit’s Cade Cunningham when the MVP candidate torched them last week.
—Fred Katz, New York Times, 26 Feb. 2026
The operation set off a wave of civil unrest, with vehicles being torched and gunmen, believed to be supported of Oseguera, blocking highways in a more than a dozen states.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 24 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torched
Verb
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Some discussions may get a little heated, but sticking to the facts should cool them off before anyone gets burned.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Dessert highlights include Basque burnt cheesecake with warm sherry caramel or espresso flan.—
Brock Keeling,
Oc Register,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Republican primary scorched the earth.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
-
Giddey and Tre Jones scorched their path to the basket.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Torched.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torched. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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