1
as in flaming
being on fire
a firefighter must be that rare soul who rushes into a burning house, not away from it
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in boiling
having a notably high temperature
a burning sauna seems like a welcome retreat after a day of shoveling snow
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in warm
having or expressing great depth of feeling
the burning enthusiasm of that candidate's campaign workers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
4
as in urgent
needing immediate attention
once again the media ignored the burning issues and focused on fluff
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in glowing
to be on fire especially brightly
all evening long we just sat there, contentedly watching the Yule log burn
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in scorching
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 steaming
to be excited or emotionally stirred up with anger
he came home burning with anger because of a reprimand at work
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in blazing
to shine with a bright harsh light
the bright streetlight outside our motel room burned all night long
Synonyms & Similar Words
5
as in tricking
to cause to believe what is untrue
he's been burned before, so he's careful to double-check such claims now
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
6
as in consuming
to make complete use of
heedlessly burning the country's resources without any concern for future generations
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of burning
Contributing Monitor Poets, Christian Science Monitor, 23 Apr. 2025
Equal to Tesfaye’s navel-gazing, Shults uses every trick in the music-video playbook to conjure a vivid, ultra-saturated but not quite realistic universe where the Weeknd is a brightly burning sun everyone revolves around.
—Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 15 May 2025
Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025
Advertisement The burning ban stems from Senate Bill 705, legislation signed in 2003 that aimed to phase out agricultural burning in the San Joaquin Valley by 2010.
—Rebecca Plevin, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for burning
Adjective
Mud puddles are courageous, too, when returning the unblinking, burning
gaze of the sky’s white eye.
—Contributing Monitor Poets, Christian Science Monitor, 23 Apr. 2025
Equal to Tesfaye’s navel-gazing, Shults uses every trick in the music-video playbook to conjure a vivid, ultra-saturated but not quite realistic universe where the Weeknd is a brightly burning sun everyone revolves around.
—Todd Gilchrist, Variety, 15 May 2025
Verb
As some steelmakers are beginning to embrace cleaner technology, climate and clean air advocates say Nippon's plan would have slowed the transition to greener steel by extending the life of dirty, old coal-burning furnaces.
—Dan Perry, Newsweek, 3 Jan. 2025
Advertisement The burning ban stems from Senate Bill 705, legislation signed in 2003 that aimed to phase out agricultural burning in the San Joaquin Valley by 2010.
—Rebecca Plevin, Los Angeles Times, 3 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for burning
Recent Examples of Synonyms for burning
Adjective
-
Somewhat surprisingly, flaming saganaki is now also catching on in Greece, especially in tourist-heavy restaurants, such as the Athens Yacht Club.—
David Hammond,
Chicago Tribune,
9 June 2025
-
Among the disturbing scenes from the recent Los Angeles protests, which erupted over federal immigration raids, are those in which protestors stood around the flaming Waymos.—
Deni Ellis Béchard,
Scientific American,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
One idea is that about a million years after the Big Bang, the universe cooled and underwent a phase transition, an event similar to how boiling water turns liquid into gas.—
Yasemin Saplakoglu,
Scientific American,
3 Mar. 2020
-
If candy is still stuck on, pour more boiling water over whatever hasn’t come clean.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
3 Dec. 2019
Adjective
-
Here, guests and stylish locals alike graze on warm flatbreads, stacked club sandwiches, silky smoked salmon & cream cheese bagels, and sharing Seafood and Charcuterie boards—brimming with serrano ham, pillowy focaccia, smoked mackerel, and plump Atlantic prawns. Prefer a slower pace?—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
2 July 2025
-
How To Clean Stovetop Grates With Vinegar Fill a pan or sink with equal parts warm water and vinegar.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
1 July 2025
Adjective
-
Ra’s faith in cosmic travel put him at odds with other prominent African American figures of the period, who saw the space race as a distraction from the more urgent struggles of the civil rights era.—
Ekow Eshun
July 11,
Literary Hub,
11 July 2025
-
What's new is the urgent need to respond to a fundamentally different business environment that's more interconnected than ever before.—
Tima Bansal,
Forbes.com,
11 July 2025
Verb
-
Over 12,000 glowing Amazon ratings back up the hype.—
Becca Blond,
Travel + Leisure,
13 Apr. 2025
-
The costumes will take on an enchanting, glowing look during the performance.—
DeVonne Goode,
Parents,
12 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Stray animals are also at risk of suffering from heat exhaustion during scorching summers.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
Newsweek,
2 Jan. 2025
-
Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid scorching the milk.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
28 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
The clip, a 53-minute visualizer posted on YouTube, shows four red stockings hanging over a blazing fireplace alongside a Christmas tree.—
Latoya Gayle,
People.com,
20 Dec. 2024
-
The clip, a 53-minute visualizer posted on YouTube, shows four red stockings hanging over a blazing fireplace alongside a Christmas tree.—
Latoya Gayle,
People.com,
20 Dec. 2024
Verb
-
Federal and state experts encourage people and their pets to avoid consuming raw or undercooked meat products, as well as raw dairy, to avoid the spread of disease.—
Andy Biggs,
Newsweek,
26 Dec. 2024
-
Customer stickiness comes from consuming more services and, thereby, realizing greater value.—
Akhilesh Tripathi,
Forbes,
26 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Burning.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/burning. Accessed 18 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share