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
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
Learning that Simone Biles attended her gold-medal-winning performance in the long jump, 25-year-old Tara Davis-Woodhall combusted, sounding like a hyperventilating teenager.
—Brendan Quinn, The Athletic, 11 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for combust 
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
Learning that Simone Biles attended her gold-medal-winning performance in the long jump, 25-year-old Tara Davis-Woodhall combusted, sounding like a hyperventilating teenager.
—Brendan Quinn, The Athletic, 11 Aug. 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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The lightweight Ilia Liquid Light Serum Highlighter has a subtle, dewy glow.—
Loren Savini,
Allure,
22 Jan. 2025
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Many acne-prone reviewers praise its ability to lighten acne scars and calm any redness for a more radiant, smooth, soft, even, and glowing complexion.—
Elizabeth Mitchell Kadar,
Glamour,
22 Jan. 2025
Verb
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An unnamed Chiefs figure, atop a horse and holding a flaming football helmet, invades the Raiders’ home of Las Vegas like the legendary Headless Horseman.—
Hannah Wise,
Kansas City Star,
19 Jan. 2025
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But homes and landscaping burn, and spread flaming embers.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA TODAY,
18 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near combust
Cite this Entry
“Combust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combust. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
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