ash

verb

Definition of ashnext
as in to kiln

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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 ash The blaze burned for almost a week, reducing millions of books to ash. — ABC News, 21 Sep. 2026 Then the blast hits, burning Sarah alive (actually a full-sized puppet) and reducing those children to ash. — ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026 In Figments of Freedom, written, directed by and starring Webber, a Marine goes AWOL, burns his life to ash, and vanishes into America’s fractured heart. — Matt Grobar, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2026 Sixty-four of its cities had been reduced to rubble and ash by incendiary bombs, as a submarine blockade strangled its economy, cutting off food, fuel, and raw materials. — James M. Scott, Time, 10 Aug. 2026 Usually used to ward off frost and pests, these permeable materials offer a budget-friendly physical barrier against dust and ash too. — Better Homes & Gardens, 2 Aug. 2026 Through it all, their bullpen was consistent … in the way that an uncontained wildfire consistently turns acreage to ash. — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 15 July 2026 Now, the cabin where those memories were made has been reduced to ash. — Alaa Elassar, CNN Money, 27 June 2026 The fires in West Miami-Dade that have sent smoke, soot and ash into nearby communities, prompting over 200 people to leave their homes, is more than half contained as of Thursday, according to the Florida Forest Service. — Milena Malaver, Miami Herald, 18 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ash
  1. incinerate
  2. light
  3. cremate
  4. ignite
  5. kindle
  6. torch
  7. fire
  8. burn
Verb
  • Crystal’s house at 860 Chautauqua Boulevard in Pacific Palisades was incinerated in the wildfire of early January 2025.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026
  • Facilities ultimately bury or incinerate this waste, which delays the problem rather than solving it.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of incinerate
Verb
  • Swap the throw pillows, drape a blanket over worn spots, add a slipcover or washable topper and change out the rug, curtains or lighting around it.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2026
  • In practice, hygge can mean curling up with a book and a hot drink, lighting candles for a quiet dinner, gathering friends for a fireside chat without screens or bundling up for a walk in the snow.
    — Hanna Wickes, Sacbee.com, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of light
Verb
  • Medical examiners typically cremate remains after a certain period of time if they are not claimed, which prevents family members from making an identification at a later time, Hess said.
    — Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
  • The village’s daily rhythms are ordered by the passing trains—until a train arrives from Pakistan loaded with the corpses of Sikh refugees, and the community is made to cremate the dead.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 29 July 2026
Definition of cremate
Verb
  • The concessions target the school grievances that helped ignite the unrest.
    — Thomas Adamson, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026
  • The incident has ignited protests on Okinawa and on the mainland of Japan in Tokyo.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of ignite
Verb
  • Anxiety over America’s build-out of data centers has reached Wall Street in recent days, kindling fears that the artificial intelligence boom is unsustainable.
    — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 23 Oct. 2026
  • This complicates things for Teagan, who has begun to kindle something with Cam.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026
Definition of kindle
Verb
  • The first episode started with poor Struan Loy getting stalked and later torched alive by a pair of Russian assassins as relentless and seemingly unkillable as Michael Myers or Jason Voorhees.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026
  • French authorities are extending curfews and increasing the police presence in public spaces as President Emmanuel Macron's government tries to regain control after rioters torched buildings and looted thousands of businesses this weekend.
    — Aidan Stretch, CBS News, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of torch
Verb
  • Less than two weeks after the mines exploded, the North fired an intermediate-range ballistic missile more than 700 kilometers.
    — Dan Blumenthal, Washington Post, 27 Oct. 2026
  • Shattered glass littered sidewalks after rioters smashed and looted thousands of shops, torched cars and buildings, and attacked police, who fired tear gas and water cannons.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 26 Oct. 2026
Definition of fire
Verb
  • Neurons are closer to Formula One race cars than to family sedans, burning fuel at a furious rate and threatening to blow up at any moment.
    — Rowan Jacobsen, Scientific American, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Wall Street analysts are trying to discern whether Big Tech will continue to burn cash or not.
    — John Towfighi, CNN Money, 20 Oct. 2026
Definition of burn

Browse Nearby Words

as good as
ash
ashamed
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Cite this Entry

“Ash.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ash. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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