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
Winds cripple aerial firefighting Nearly 500 firefighters and 23 aircraft were deployed, but gale-force winds drove flames through dry forest and crippled the response, preventing some aircraft from reaching the sea to collect water. — Elena Becatoros, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2026 Strong winds drove flames deeper into the region of the Greek capital and forced fresh evacuations, France guarded a still-burning scar four times the size of Paris, while Spain’s major fires stopped advancing. — ABC News, 2 Aug. 2026
Verb
The clip ultimately evolved into a lo-fi vision of the Rapture, complete with giant flaming hands terrorizing the band. — Spin Staff, SPIN, 30 June 2026 Footage on social media captured victims falling through flaming windows as first responders attempted to reach them. — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 22 June 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
  • Robertson married his high school sweetheart, Nancy, in 1956.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Robert quickly takes an interest in student body president Susan Reynolds (Kaia Gerber), best frenemy of Liz’s daughter Debbie Schaffer (Hayes Warner) and high school sweetheart of sensitive jock Thom Wright (Graham Campbell).
    — Erin Jensen, USA Today, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of sweetheart
Verb
  • Her glowing skin, minimal makeup, and refined hairstyle helped define an ideal of beauty that has endured for generations.
    — Colleen Sullivan, InStyle, 6 Aug. 2026
  • After all the glowing testaments to his character, the apartment was startlingly nondescript.
    — Ariane Lange, Sacbee.com, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of glow
Verb
  • Now, both veterans and newcomers will be able to experience the struggle humanity faced as a new conflict erupted.
    — Fran Ruiz, Space.com, 2 Aug. 2026
  • After gunfire erupted at the popular Bite of Seattle food festival last weekend, those same people are helping to organize his funeral.
    — Alicia Victoria Lozano, NBC news, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of erupt
Verb
  • Aerial images obtained by CNN show entire residential blocks burned and the surrounding vegetation charred.
    — Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
  • In the first two months of this wildfire season, nearly 500,000 hectares of land have burned across Europe.
    — , CNBC, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of burn
Verb
  • The ​pitch is reinforced by the document’s anime-style cover, which depicts a smiling family in a gleaming cityscape rather than ​the troops, weapons and military insignia featured on many previous editions.
    — Reuters, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
  • The neon lights began to move about briskly, like gleaming whirligig beetles, and the lights on the advertising tower closest to the stadium flickered across the Squirrel-brand margarine ad.
    — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of gleam
Noun
  • Once a darling of the 90s—and often paired with glossy, plastic finishes—teal now feels more nostalgic than fresh.
    — Angelika Pokovba, Martha Stewart, 2 Aug. 2026
  • My daddy—who saw me as the most beautiful girl in the world—always wanted his darling daughter close to him.
    — Jenisha Watts, The Atlantic, 2 Aug. 2026
Definition of darling
Verb
  • But on Monday one of the bigger beasts of Wall Street, Goldman Sachs Chief Economist Jan Hatzius, came out guns blazing at Warsh.
    — Jim Edwards, Fortune, 5 Aug. 2026
  • In the film, his signature use of colors— blazing red, forest green, deep blue, golden yellow, lavender pink — and intimate chamber-drama staging transform domestic interiors into spaces of moral clarity.
    — Vanessa Rampton, STAT, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of blaze
Verb
  • That’s because computer science, then seen as a golden ticket to a high-paying job, was exploding in popularity.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 3 Aug. 2026
  • That concept became the foundation for Comfrt, the loungewear brand that would later explode across social media, and extend into products like blankets, backpacks, and pet apparel.
    — Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 2 Aug. 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 9 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on flame

Nglish: Translation of flame for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about flame

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