flame 1 of 2

noun

ˈflām How to pronounce flame (audio)
Definition of flamenext
as in sweetheart
a person with whom one is in love decided to look up an old flame while she was in town

Synonyms & Similar Words

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flame

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to glow
to be on fire especially brightly guests gathered around as the Yule log flamed brightly in the inn's great stone fireplace

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2
as in to erupt
to develop suddenly and violently my anger flamed when the usher told my friend to shut up

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3
as in to burn
to shine with a bright harsh light the noonday sun flamed down on the desert travelers

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4
as in to gleam
to shoot forth bursts of light the actress's ruby necklace flamed dazzlingly under the bright lights

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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 flame
Noun
Firefighters began to gain the upper hand on the fire throughout Saturday afternoon, keeping the flames within the burn scar and building containment lines around the fire. — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 17 Oct. 2026 Fire marshals were still working to determine what sparked the flames. — Julian Roberts-Grmela, New York Daily News, 17 Oct. 2026
Verb
The storefront, gaping and charred, looked like someone had taken a bulldozer and pushed flaming cars inside. — Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 Sep. 2026 And the joy in the swanky dining room rockets up whenever somebody orders the Cacio e Pepe, which is mixed in a big cheese wheel, or the New York Steak, which a server sets ablaze before slicing with a flaming knife. — John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 3 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for flame
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flame
  1. sweetheart
  2. glow
  3. erupt
  4. burn
  5. gleam
  6. darling
  7. blaze
  8. explode
Noun
  • The Pittsburgh native turned the page on his high school sweetheart Nomi Leasure and entered new dating territory, a relationship with Ariana Grande, which started to percolate in early 2016.
    — Michael Saponara, Billboard, 13 Oct. 2026
  • He was beloved by his teammates and married his high-school sweetheart.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026
Definition of sweetheart
Verb
  • Their living structures glowed at night a hundred miles up and down the coast.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
  • But the phone’s first public testers have given glowing feedback.
    — Andrew R. Chow, Time, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of glow
Verb
  • Still, when the measles outbreak erupted, Bangladesh responded swiftly and initially seemed to be winning the battle.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 18 Oct. 2026
  • Multiple people were killed and dozens more were injured when an explosion erupted at a Canadian military base, according to authorities.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of erupt
Verb
  • The house took eight years to build on the property where the couple’s previous home burned during the 2018 Woolsey fire, along with Albuquerque’s studio, archive and many of her paintings.
    — Jane Horowitz, Los Angeles Times, 13 Oct. 2026
  • The wall's stonework showed signs of fire damage, while archaeologists also uncovered burned seeds and the remains of a charred wooden building nearby.
    — Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Definition of burn
Verb
  • James, along with Sawitskas and his pals, want the carousel to be restored to its original glory, a magnificent, gleaming merry-go-round that inspired Disney to dream.
    — Todd Martens, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2026
  • That's particularly true at steakhouse Intrepid and open-air cantina 16o9—both of which are set above the harbor for incredible sunsets and clear views of the gleaming white super yachts.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of gleam
Noun
  • Very often, my darling husband Steven will quietly deliver a sandwich to my desk.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Our favorite dress picks have a variety of styles and versatile features, like darling ruffles, cinching waistlines, and trending silhouettes.
    — Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of darling
Verb
  • Hacking palm trees In blazing midday tropical heat, Katie Baur saws the trunk of a young coconut palm.
    — Lauren Sommer, NPR, 13 Oct. 2026
  • On their way to the Bahamas in 1940, where the duke would serve as governor, Simpson sported one of her new creations, a blazing Cartier flamingo brooch, encrusted with diamonds, emeralds, citrines, rubies, and sapphires.
    — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of blaze
Verb
  • Nearly 2,400 people were arrested in France on Saturday after long-simmering protests exploded into some of the country’s most disruptive unrest in years.
    — Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 18 Oct. 2026
  • When Louise would remember the show decades later, the audience was always so electric that the room exploded into stamping feet and pounding fists.
    — Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of explode

Phrases Containing flame

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flamboyantly
flame
flamed
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Cite this Entry

“Flame.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flame. Accessed 20 Oct. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on flame

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about flame

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