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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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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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
Andrew Freedman, Axios, 12 Feb. 2025
Goldstein, who suffered severe second- and third-degree burns on his arms and scalp, died a year later from a drug overdose.
—Ashley Hume, Fox News, 11 Feb. 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.
—Noun
The threat is present at each of the major fires' burn scars, including the Palisades and Eaton Fires, as well as the earlier Bridge Fire.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for burn
Verb
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Specifically, the neutrino bumped into some matter and created another type of tiny particle called a muon, which in turn set off a glowing wave of blue photons that the detector could see.—
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Look at it full and glowing through the window (on All Hallows’ Eve, no less!), and the night so beautifully full of screaming.—
Verb
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Just don’t place them in direct sunlight, which will scorch their leaves.—
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Trump has already nixed most of the workers at the U.S. Agency for International Development, scorched the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, and is set to dismantle the Education Department—all created and funded by Congress.—
Verb
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The hotel has a large main pool and a steaming hot tub, lovely lawns where guests can put their feet up and enjoy a glass of wine, a gurgling fountain, and, of course, a chicken coop.—
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Dumpling Week Friday-Feb. 15 Dozens of restaurants participate in this annual event celebrating dough stuffed with sweet and savory fillings, served steamed or fried.—
Verb
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In a fire, a modern house is its own flaming toxic Superfund site.—
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His eyes wander the flaming mass of hair tumbling out from under my hat.—
Verb
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Minor leaguers and players trying to make the club out of spring can put up gaudy (deceiving) numbers against dubious competition.—
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The viewer may feel deceived for a moment, but most people know that trash talk is par for the course among sports fandoms.—
Verb
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While Nile crocodiles typically drag their prey into the water and consume them, Gustave has been repeatedly observed killing humans and leaving their bodies behind.—
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By cutting out sugar and consuming the right amount of carbohydrates and protein before and after training, the defender put on 10kg without losing any speed.—
Noun
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These graves were on the south side of the brook that divides the site, and on the north side archaeologists found three more sets of remains that had been dispersed, begging the question of why there would be two different kinds of burials from the same time periods in different areas of the site.—
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In a way, this means no more choosing between rain on a tin roof or bubbling brook soundscapes that aim to do the same but in a far less personalized way.—
Verb
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Flood asks with blinking incredulity as Isidora blazes on to something else.—
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That era began in the late 1960s, blazed in the '70s, stayed on pace in the '80s, and survived in an unevenly declining way through Tucker, Mike Huckabee, Mike Beebe... Subscribe to continue reading, or log in.—
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Cite this Entry
“Burn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burn. Accessed 27 Feb. 2025.
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