1
as in to glow
to be on fire especially brightly
all evening long we just sat there, contentedly watching the Yule log burn
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
Peter Cohan, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
The truth was somewhere in the middle: No, Kid Nation was never officially charged with violating child labor laws, but one kid did accidentally drink bleach — and another sustained a minor burn while cooking.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 20 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
The most significant of these include the company’s high dependence on a few customers, a large inventory of an older generation of AI chips for rent, and high cash burn rate and rising debt.
—Peter Cohan, Forbes.com, 27 Mar. 2025
The truth was somewhere in the middle: No, Kid Nation was never officially charged with violating child labor laws, but one kid did accidentally drink bleach — and another sustained a minor burn while cooking.
—Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 20 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for burn
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burn
Verb
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Curtains designed by Rut Bryk glow in the house her husband, Tapio Wirkkala, built for her in their summer retreat in Finnish Lapland.—
Julie Lasky,
New York Times,
4 Apr. 2025
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While mothers are expected to radiate happiness after delivery and glow in their new role as a mom, this is unfortunately not always the case.—
Kaitlyn May,
Hartford Courant,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
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With the same milky blue water as the Blue Lagoon and a fraction of the crowd, these are the hot springs of your dreams, fed from a bore hole at a scorching 266 degrees before the water cools to between 96 and 104 degrees.—
Maggie Fuller,
AFAR Media,
1 Apr. 2025
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Hedges hit his ninth and tenth home runs of the season on Saturday against Indiana, continuing his scorching start to the season.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2025
Verb
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While steaming, be sure to hold the steamer nozzle upright so hot water doesn't spill or dribble out.—
Katelyn Squiers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 Apr. 2025
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But the game also marked the return of one of the world’s most legendary stadium eats: the Dodger Dog, an icon since 1962, which features a 10-inch pork hot dog that’s either grilled or steamed.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
30 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The Ash People, who bear red headdresses and have ash smeared across their faces, then attack Jake and Neytiri with a barrage of flaming arrows.—
Wesley Stenzel,
EW.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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Scores of people in Malaysia were being treated in hospitals on Tuesday after a huge fire broke out at a gas pipeline operated by state energy giant Petronas, showering flaming debris from the sky and shattering windows.—
Huey Mun Leong and Danial Azhar,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2025
Verb
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There is evidence of motivated malicious actors abusing the 'verified account' to deceive users.—
Jon Brodkin,
ArsTechnica,
4 Apr. 2025
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More than a dozen state attorneys general also have sued TikTok, alleging last year that the company deceived users about its child safety tools and deployed harmful features to keep children on the platform longer to maximize profits.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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In the hospitality sector, large hotels consume significantly more energy due to extensive facilities like multiple restaurants, conference centers, and recreational areas, which drive higher energy usage and waste production.—
Dianne Plummer,
Forbes.com,
28 Mar. 2025
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Melissa tells Shauna that, after learning about adult Natalie’s death on the grounds of Lottie’s doomed cult, she became consumed with guilt and paranoia; after all, her own wife doesn’t know that Melissa knew her mother, let alone probably witnessed her death.—
Abby Monteil,
Them.,
28 Mar. 2025
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
Verb
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As soon as the orchestra began playing the overture, the blazing showmanship of Patti LuPone came rushing back to me from her performance in Laurents’ 2008 production.—
Charles McNulty,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2025
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Bob the Drag Queen — real name Christopher Delmar Caldwell — has blazed quite the trail for himself since winning the eighth season of RuPaul‘s Drag Race.—
Seth Abramovitch,
The Hollywood Reporter,
25 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Burn.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burn. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.
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