as in to burn
to be on fire especially brightly
anthracite, which is naturally hard, combusts more cleanly than bituminous coal
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of combust
One advantage is that LEDs are cooler and less likely to combust or burn.
—
Noël Fletcher, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
And at many others, things combust in ways even worse than the sternest warning might have suggested.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 17 Dec. 2024
Unlike fossil fuels, which can’t be recovered once they are combusted, the metal components of renewable energy technologies can be recycled.
—Kate S. Petersen, USA TODAY, 1 Dec. 2024
That turned out to be one of the sparks that Mr. McCabe’s work needed to combust into an online sensation.
—Scott Cacciola, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for combust 
Noël Fletcher, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2024
And at many others, things combust in ways even worse than the sternest warning might have suggested.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 17 Dec. 2024
Unlike fossil fuels, which can’t be recovered once they are combusted, the metal components of renewable energy technologies can be recycled.
—Kate S. Petersen, USA TODAY, 1 Dec. 2024
That turned out to be one of the sparks that Mr. McCabe’s work needed to combust into an online sensation.
—Scott Cacciola, New York Times, 25 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for combust
Recent Examples of Synonyms for combust
Verb
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The pair, who met as college undergrads, both burned with idealism and recognized their privilege could be leveraged for a game-changing idea.—
Carole Horst,
Variety,
13 Sep. 2023
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The Ellen MacArthur Foundation promotes circular fashion and says that, in the United States, an amount of clothing equal to a garbage truck is ferried to landfills or burned every second.—
Neeti Mehra,
Treehugger,
13 Sep. 2023
Verb
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Specifically, the neutrino bumped into some matter and created another type of tiny particle called a muon, which in turn set off a glowing wave of blue photons that the detector could see.—
Sara Hashemi,
Smithsonian Magazine,
14 Feb. 2025
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Look at it full and glowing through the window (on All Hallows’ Eve, no less!), and the night so beautifully full of screaming.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
People.com,
14 Feb. 2025
Verb
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In a fire, a modern house is its own flaming toxic Superfund site.—
Jeff Goodell,
Rolling Stone,
13 Feb. 2025
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His eyes wander the flaming mass of hair tumbling out from under my hat.—
Lizz Schumer,
People.com,
13 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near combust
Cite this Entry
“Combust.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/combust. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
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