burn alive

idiom

: to kill by being set on fire
The captives were burned alive.

Examples of burn alive in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Two friends burn alive in defective tanning beds; a Bowflex machine crushes a meathead; a semi-trailer truck collides with Kevin's car, rocketing the motor into a bystander; and one girl's skull gets pelted by a nail gun. Michael Lee Simpson, EW.com, 31 Oct. 2022 Officials have also accused the protesters of trying to burn alive 10 police officers in Bogota. Star Tribune, 15 May 2021 The mentally ill men left to burn alive in a sordid boarding home that operated with little regard for lifesaving regulations. Melissa Fletcher Stoeltje, San Antonio Express-News, 23 Dec. 2020 David Young, 69, who crashed his minivan into a tree while evacuating, only to burn alive with two pets in the cargo area. Lizzie Johnson, SFChronicle.com, 16 June 2020

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'burn alive.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near burn alive

Cite this Entry

“Burn alive.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burn%20alive. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

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