parched; parching; parches
1
: to toast under dry heat
2
: to shrivel with heat
3
: to dry or shrivel with cold
: to become dry or scorched
Examples of parch in a Sentence
The hot desert sun had parched the land.
the heat has really parched my throat
Recent Examples on the Web
The conditions are harsh, with crazy winds and parched terrain cooking up one calamity after another, and anyone who isn’t on edge is either in denial, sedated or a renter.
—
Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025
More than 50,000 people were under evacuation orders or warnings Wednesday as a huge and fast-moving wildfire swept through rugged mountains north of Los Angeles, as parched Southern California endured another round of dangerous winds and two major previous blazes continued to smolder.
—Marcio Jose Sanchez, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2025
Full Story In Other News Branch out with a different read from The Hill:
Climate change parches Western US, providing fuel for fires
Climate change is making the Western United States drier, which can fuel wildfires like those affecting Los Angeles.
—Rachel Frazin, The Hill, 13 Jan. 2025
As a result, vegetation that would typically be full of water by midwinter instead remained parched.
—Ned Kleiner, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for parch 
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Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025
More than 50,000 people were under evacuation orders or warnings Wednesday as a huge and fast-moving wildfire swept through rugged mountains north of Los Angeles, as parched Southern California endured another round of dangerous winds and two major previous blazes continued to smolder.
—Marcio Jose Sanchez, Chicago Tribune, 22 Jan. 2025
Full Story In Other News Branch out with a different read from The Hill:
Climate change parches Western US, providing fuel for fires
Climate change is making the Western United States drier, which can fuel wildfires like those affecting Los Angeles.
—Rachel Frazin, The Hill, 13 Jan. 2025
As a result, vegetation that would typically be full of water by midwinter instead remained parched.
—Ned Kleiner, Los Angeles Times, 10 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for parch
Dictionary Entries Near parch
Cite this Entry
“Parch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/parch. Accessed 1 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
parch
verb1
: to toast by dry heat
2
: to wilt with heat
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