flames 1 of 2

noun

plural of flame
as in darlings
a person with whom one is in love decided to look up an old flame while she was in town

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

flames

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of flame
1
as in burns
to be on fire especially brightly guests gathered around as the Yule log flamed brightly in the inn's great stone fireplace

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in erupts
to develop suddenly and violently my anger flamed when the usher told my friend to shut up

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in glows
to shine with a bright harsh light the noonday sun flamed down on the desert travelers

Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in gleams
to shoot forth bursts of light the actress's ruby necklace flamed dazzlingly under the bright lights

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 flames
Noun
Emergency crews responded to the residential fire and quickly worked to contain the flames. — Denis Akbari, USA Today, 1 Sep. 2026 Bright flames shot out of an overhead compartment as flight attendants ran down the smoky aisle with fire extinguishers. — Alison J. Stein, HubSpot, 1 Sep. 2026 One jumper is famous for having smothered miles of flames with his jacket; in Alaska, jumpers have used spruce boughs and burlap bags filled with moss. — M. R. O’Connor, New Yorker, 31 Aug. 2026 The vehicle caught on fire after the crash and became engulfed in flames, according to state police. — Justin Muszynski, Hartford Courant, 31 Aug. 2026 Black-and-white news footage shows volunteer firefighters swatting flames with tree branches and dousing flare-ups with flower-pot watering cans. — Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026 At night, lights shine on the wreck, and flames will shoot from the smokestacks. — Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026 That’s what Republican Rick Jackson said to a supporter at a recent rally, and the claim could throw gas on the flames of an already contentious election season in Georgia. — Aj Willingham, AJC.com, 25 Aug. 2026 Firefighters on the second floor were met by a sudden burst of heat and flames, fueled by wind gusts of up to 25 miles per hour, the release states. — Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Aug. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flames
  1. darlings
  2. burns
  3. erupts
  4. glows
  5. gleams
  6. sweethearts
  7. blazes
  8. explodes
Noun
  • If that does happen, and UNLV goes from G6 Playoff darlings to 0-2, some uncomfortable conversations will start to spring up about head coach Dan Mullen's future in Vegas.
    — Austin Perry OutKick, FOXNews.com, 1 Sep. 2026
  • The company adds some 30 to 60 movies to its catalog annually, most of them lost gems of world cinema, festival-circuit darlings, or old Hollywood hits.
    — Sophia Nguyen, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of darlings
Verb
  • Impossibly juicy to its core, the chicken is served with a clever tofu-mustard sauce that’s tangy, savory, and smooth (not unlike ranch but also definitely not ranch) and a winning, aromatic jiao chili sauce that burns with a sweet heat.
    — The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 24 Aug. 2026
  • When applied to weeds, vinegar burns the leaves and foliage but not the root system.
    — Alexandra Kelly, Martha Stewart, 22 Aug. 2026
Definition of burns
Verb
  • Gunfire erupts following victory celebration Prosecutors have alleged that an argument between two groups escalated into gunfire in the crowded celebration.
    — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Social media erupts over cancellation, pleads to Mamdani Since the cancellation was announced, social media was inundated with posts in support of the show, with some even reaching out to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to intervene and save it.
    — Saman Shafiq, USA Today, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of erupts
Verb
  • At night, the feathers light up and the whole bird glows across the playa.
    — Jim Dobson, Forbes.com, 29 Aug. 2026
  • In New York City, Pete Davidson films his new movie Tommy Karate with a new look, while Savannah Guthrie glows in florals for Roger Federer’s exhibition match at the US Open.
    — Alex Apatoff, PEOPLE, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of glows
Verb
  • Like Beckham’s dress, the 100-percent silk dress softly gleams in the light.
    — Izzy Baskette, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025
  • Despite a couple of funky skips, the album is fueled by the hunger of an artist who really wants the pop life again, perking up electro-scuzz and arena rock with new wave that gleams like glitter.
    — Pitchfork, Pitchfork, 4 Dec. 2025
Definition of gleams
Noun
  • In reality, Bourdain and Nancy Putkoski were high-school sweethearts long before the events of the movie.
    — Patrick Ryan, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
  • The former couple were high school sweethearts and wed in May 2001.
    — Ariana Quihuiz, PEOPLE, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of sweethearts
Verb
  • As the flames approached the community in July, the majority of the village’s 3,500 residents were forced to flee their homes, as hundreds of firefighters were deployed to tackle blazes more violent and unpredictable than in previous years.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
  • Calmer winds and cooler temperatures assisted fire crews in their battle against the Spokane blazes Monday, but temperature are anticipated to climb back into the 90s by Wednesday and continue to push firefighters to their limits.
    — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of blazes
Verb
  • In Copperhead, when an undercover drug deal explodes into violence, a veteran detective is forced to team with a young federal agent to unravel the conspiracy within their elite task force.
    — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 31 Aug. 2026
  • That explodes into action in one startlingly seedy scene involving a rape in full view of revelers at a hotel party.
    — Beatrice Loayza, Variety, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of explodes

Phrases Containing flames

Browse Nearby Words

flamers
flames
flames out
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Flames.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flames. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of apiary

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

A List of Most Commonly Confused Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 4
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

The Longest Long Words List

Stay Woke
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Vol. 2 Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All