burn down

phrasal verb

burned down or burnt down; burning down; burns down
1
of a building or other structure : to be destroyed by fire
The hotel burned down in 1922.
2
of a fire : to become smaller : to gradually produce less and less flame
We watched the fire as it slowly burned down.
3
: to destroy (something) by fire
Vandals burned down the school.
burned it down

Examples of burn down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Even when the wildfires were happening, people were still going to work and their whole neighborhoods were burning down. Michael Saponara, Billboard, 30 May 2025 This was especially apparent when Ani burns down the house in Montana in a Steadicam oner. Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 29 May 2025 The boy burned down the house, a shed, and all of the family’s possessions, Richard Bartkus said. Hailey Branson-Potts, Los Angeles Times, 21 May 2025 Arsonists burned down the restaurant, and then an armed group opened fire on a vehicle, killing an 8-year-old girl. Rick Rojas, New York Times, 20 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for burn down

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Cite this Entry

“Burn down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burn%20down. Accessed 5 Jun. 2025.

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