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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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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as in to annoy
to disturb the peace of mind of (someone) especially by repeated disagreeable acts
seeing people violate smoking bans really burns me up
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as in combustible
capable of catching or being set on fire
don't put something so burnable as a towel next to the stove
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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
Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 17 Mar. 2025
Things to caution against, according to McKinney, include excess heat exposure, excess stress on the heart and the potential for burns.
—Talia McWright, Twin Cities, 10 Mar. 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
At 20 knots, the total burn rate is 38 gallons-per-hour.
—Julia Zaltzman, Robb Report, 17 Mar. 2025
Things to caution against, according to McKinney, include excess heat exposure, excess stress on the heart and the potential for burns.
—Talia McWright, Twin Cities, 10 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for burn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burn
Noun
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The mass-participation ball game involves two teams, whose players are decided according to which side of the town's small brook they were born on.—
Alan Taylor,
The Atlantic,
7 Mar. 2025
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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.—
Irene Wright,
Miami Herald,
5 Feb. 2025
Adjective
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This week, the underarm serve ended a match and started some discourse, a remarkable winning streak snapped with a side of on-court drama and one of the most combustible players on the ATP Tour met his match.—
Charlie Eccleshare,
The Athletic,
24 Mar. 2025
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If there’s anything combustible there — a kid’s play set, shrubbery, a grill, vehicles — make sure there is space around each item so that fire can’t move from one to the next.—
Ron Lieber,
New York Times,
19 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Those who hike the trail have the opportunity to summit Mount Washington, the tallest peak in the northeast, walk along a peaceful creek, or follow in the footsteps of history where the trail becomes part of the towpath for the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
1 Mar. 2025
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In a creek near the town of Coloma, a remote community wedged in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains, the local carpenter spotted pea-sized flecks catching the sun's rays: small gold nuggets.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA TODAY,
24 Jan. 2025
Adjective
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The wine exhibits explosive aromas of citrus, passion fruit, herbs, and cut grass on the nose.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes,
22 Mar. 2025
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A long time ago Rounding out a cluster of cosmic research, new calculations suggest the explosive death of stars, otherwise called supernovas, may have caused two of Earth’s largest mass extinction events.—
Jackie Wattles,
CNN,
22 Mar. 2025
Noun
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The legs are moved not by electric motors, but instead by a steady stream of compressed air.—
Ben Coxworth,
New Atlas,
26 Mar. 2025
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This stuff has racked up hundreds of millions of streams through CapCut-core TikTok hype edits.—
Kieran Press-Reynolds,
Pitchfork,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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But manufacturer issues, misuse and aging can heighten the risk from the batteries, which use flammable materials, potentially posing a fire danger on flights.—
Kathleen Magramo,
CNN Money,
26 Mar. 2025
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Solid state and made without flammable materials, the little nuclear batteries might be safer than lithium-ion batteries, which are prone to thermal runaway, venting, and explosion.—
Joe Salas,
New Atlas,
26 Mar. 2025
Adjective
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And all this against an inflammable backdrop of geopolitical crises including but not limited to the Israel-Hamas war and Russia's invasion of Ukraine.—
John Leicester,
Quartz,
15 Apr. 2024
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Heat also stresses old electrical systems — insulation breaks down; lubricants in relays dry out — and a not-insignificant amount of the subway’s electrical wiring dates to the 1920s and 1930s, some of it cloth-covered, inflammable, and pervious to water.—
Curbed,
Curbed,
28 July 2023
Cite this Entry
“Burn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burn. Accessed 4 Apr. 2025.
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