1
as in to glow
to be on fire especially brightly
all evening long we just sat there, contentedly watching the Yule log burn
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2
as in to scorch
to set (something) on fire
it is not a good idea to try to burn old papers in the sink
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to steam
to be excited or emotionally stirred up with anger
he came home burning with anger because of a reprimand at work
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4
as in to flame
to shine with a bright harsh light
the bright streetlight outside our motel room burned all night long
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5
as in to deceive
to cause to believe what is untrue
he's been burned before, so he's careful to double-check such claims now
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in to consume
to make complete use of
heedlessly burning the country's resources without any concern for future generations
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in brook
a natural body of running water smaller than a river
the walkers forded the shallow burn and then came upon a field of gorse
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of burn
Courtland Milloy, Washington Post, 12 Sep. 2023
William Lucas, 8, survived after Tonya Lucas’ boyfriend at the time rescued him from the burning home.
—Alex Mann, Baltimore Sun, 12 Sep. 2023
Jade Walker, CNN Money, 6 May 2025
Journalists fanned out across Altadena and the Pacific Palisades to pull up columns of dirt from about 40 properties: 10 Army Corps-cleared lots and 10 still-standing homes in each burn zone.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for burn
Verb
Such interactions can light a fuse that may burn throughout a school year, only to erupt when students arrive for a new semester driving their parents’ car.
—Courtland Milloy, Washington Post, 12 Sep. 2023
William Lucas, 8, survived after Tonya Lucas’ boyfriend at the time rescued him from the burning home.
—Alex Mann, Baltimore Sun, 12 Sep. 2023
Noun
That’s how many SharkNinja pressure cookers were recalled last week due to reports of over 100 burn injuries.
—Jade Walker, CNN Money, 6 May 2025
Journalists fanned out across Altadena and the Pacific Palisades to pull up columns of dirt from about 40 properties: 10 Army Corps-cleared lots and 10 still-standing homes in each burn zone.
—Corinne Purtill, Los Angeles Times, 5 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for burn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burn
Verb
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With its lightweight texture, glowing finish, and ability to safeguard against sun damage and hyperpigmentation, this has all the makings of a universally appealing sunscreen—and has quickly become a staple in my skin-care rotation.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
28 Apr. 2025
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The glowing pink nebula and snakelike dark clouds are the remnant of the birth site of the stars in the cluster.—
Alan Taylor,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Comic Cole Garrett was first up, his manic style scorching the walls.—
R. Daniel Foster,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
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The park’s Furnace Creek area is particularly scorching.—
Brooke Baitinger,
Sacbee.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Romito’s fried chicken is the signature item for good reason — steamed at 154 degrees, marinated in herbs, and then pressure-fried for ten minutes to lock in moisture and keep the meat tender and light.—
Lindsey Tramuta,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
7 May 2025
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The unstoppable Baeza had steamed away strongly from the peloton of sixteen runners swimming in the mud behind him and was blazing up on the outside, deep in a furious bid to run Journalism down.—
Guy Martin,
Forbes.com,
4 May 2025
Verb
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Much like The Game Kitchen’s Blasphemous (2019) and Blasphemous 2 (2023), the pixel art utilized here is highly detailed, rendering backgrounds with depth like the flaming ruins of the Hayabusa clan’s village or cityscapes surrounded by rivers of blood.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
16 Apr. 2025
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Comments Danny McBride, do not step on that flaming bag on your doorstep.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Jurors found Peters guilty in August for using someone else’s security badge to give an expert affiliated with My Pillow chief executive Mike Lindell access to the Mesa County election system and deceiving other officials about that person’s identity.—
Colleen Slevin,
Twin Cities,
22 Apr. 2025
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Stribling tried to deceive officers by saying Bailei was shot in a robbery, The Detroit News reported.—
Mike Stunson,
Kansas City Star,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Additionally, the study of chemical isotopes — variants of carbon and nitrogen that reflect plant or animal proteins consumed — from a bone sample taken from the mummy’s spine revealed a high-quality diet based on grain and a large proportion of meat.—
Katie Hunt,
CNN Money,
2 May 2025
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The consistent overproduction of milk is the reason federal dietary guidelines recommend that adults consume three cups of dairy per day, as well as why half-pint milk cartons are a mainstay of the nation’s school cafeterias.—
HubSpot,
HubSpot,
2 May 2025
Noun
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The quick video opened with footage of a rushing river and rolled to show a closeup of flowering branches, blue bells and an aerial view of a brook.—
Janine Henni,
People.com,
1 May 2025
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The 1851-52 painting by John Everett Millais is one of the most popular renderings of Ophelia's death, which depicts her lying, almost peacefully, among flowers in a brook.—
Audrey Gibbs,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The unstoppable Baeza had steamed away strongly from the peloton of sixteen runners swimming in the mud behind him and was blazing up on the outside, deep in a furious bid to run Journalism down.—
Guy Martin,
Forbes.com,
4 May 2025
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Despite there already being two musical iterations of the story, West Side Story and & Juliet, the duo wasn't afraid to blaze a new trail.—
Maureen Lee Lenker,
EW.com,
1 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Burn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burn. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
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