as in to burn
to be on fire especially brightly
anthracite, which is naturally hard, combusts more cleanly than bituminous coal
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of combust
One advantage is that LEDs are cooler and less likely to combust or burn.
—
Noël Fletcher, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
And at many others, things combust in ways even worse than the sternest warning might have suggested.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 17 Dec. 2024
Unlike fossil fuels, which can’t be recovered once they are combusted, the metal components of renewable energy technologies can be recycled.
—Kate S. Petersen, USA TODAY, 1 Dec. 2024
That turned out to be one of the sparks that Mr. McCabe’s work needed to combust into an online sensation.
—Scott Cacciola, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for combust
Noël Fletcher, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
And at many others, things combust in ways even worse than the sternest warning might have suggested.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 17 Dec. 2024
Unlike fossil fuels, which can’t be recovered once they are combusted, the metal components of renewable energy technologies can be recycled.
—Kate S. Petersen, USA TODAY, 1 Dec. 2024
That turned out to be one of the sparks that Mr. McCabe’s work needed to combust into an online sensation.
—Scott Cacciola, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for combust
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combust
Verb
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The pair, who met as college undergrads, both burned with idealism and recognized their privilege could be leveraged for a game-changing idea.—
Carole Horst,
Variety,
13 Sep. 2023
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The Ellen MacArthur Foundation promotes circular fashion and says that, in the United States, an amount of clothing equal to a garbage truck is ferried to landfills or burned every second.—
Neeti Mehra,
Treehugger,
13 Sep. 2023
Verb
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In order to achieve a flawless, glowing complexion, Scarlett used facial cleansers, mists, hydrating masks and moisturizers.—
Alison Escalante,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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The Funghi lantern from Charlap Hyman & Herrero, hand-painted by artist Pilar Almon, glows like an orange moon, casting a halo over the 1970s French Shogun coffee table by Roger Capron and the vintage Tuareg mat from North Africa.—
Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar,
Architectural Digest,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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After all, flaming bright red seats are a deal-breaker for many potential buyers.—
Peter Lyon,
Forbes,
19 Feb. 2025
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Air quality concerns and changing conditions led emergency personnel to advise anyone in a 1-mile radius around the flaming facility to evacuate, and schools in two districts were to be closed through at least Wednesday.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
19 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Combust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combust. Accessed 3 Mar. 2025.
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