ashes 1 of 2

Definition of ashesnext
as in rubble
the portion or bits of something left over or behind after it has been destroyed a new and more splendid city was built on the ashes of the old

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

ashes

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of ash
See the Dictionary Definition 

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for ashes
Verb
  • In Death by Lightning, his performance as Charles Guiteau incinerates any attempt to categorize the presidential assassin.
    Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
  • No, the King of the Monsters unleashes his fiery breath on the man and incinerates him instead.
    Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 24 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • But when Tiffany gets pregnant with her first child and Carolyn simultaneously sells an essay to The New Yorker, mutual jealousy ignites.
    Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
  • The pilot light is a small flame that ignites the burner to heat the water in the tank.
    Katie Cloyd, Martha Stewart, 21 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Continue reading … BENCH WARRED — Blanche torches Trump foe Boasberg after appeals court blocks judge again in deportation fight.
    , FOXNews.com, 15 Apr. 2026
  • Hopper cut off a Demogorgon’s head, and Murray torches quite a few.
    Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 12 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • For some, a Day 3 NFL draft selection lights a competitive fuse, so to speak.
    Chris Perkins, Sun Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026
  • Long evenings stretch out, iced drinks sweat in your hand, and porch lights flicker on just as the air begins to hum with those all-too-familiar pests.
    Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 26 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • While Martin Scorsese called it one of the scariest movies of all time, The Uninvited kindles a wonderful romance between Rick and Stella.
    Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
  • The star of Big Little Lies confessed her new film, Caught Stealing, kindles a powerful yearning for some aspects of the era.
    Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • The bathroom is situated next to the kitchen and is notable for having an incinerating toilet – as its name implies, this burns waste to ash.
    Adam Williams April 23, New Atlas, 23 Apr. 2026
  • The facility is positioned as a potential model for decarbonizing aviation, which burns roughly 100 billion gallons of jet fuel per year globally.
    Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 22 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Since the city adopted the video release policy more than a decade ago, experience has repeatedly demonstrated the fallacy of limiting inquiry to the precise moment when a police officer fires their gun.
    Jamie Kalven, Chicago Tribune, 29 Apr. 2026
  • Garcia is opening his car door at that very moment, and fires nine shots at Denis with his 9 mm Glock pistol as Denis speeds toward and past him.
    Brittany Wallman, Miami Herald, 29 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The episode inflames the diplomatic spat between the two countries that began over Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comments about Taiwan.
    J.D. Capelouto, semafor.com, 25 Mar. 2026
  • Sensational or biased language inflames opinion before readers learn the facts.
    Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 7 Mar. 2026
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.

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Ashes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ashes. Accessed 1 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on ashes

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster