as in darlings
a person with whom one is in love
decided to look up an old flame while she was in town
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
1
as in burns
to be on fire especially brightly
guests gathered around as the Yule log flamed brightly in the inn's great stone fireplace
Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in erupts
to develop suddenly and violently
my anger flamed when the usher told my friend to shut up
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in glows
to shine with a bright harsh light
the noonday sun flamed down on the desert travelers
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in gleams
to shoot forth bursts of light
the actress's ruby necklace flamed dazzlingly under the bright lights
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of flames
Eric MacK, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Record-breaking drought in the Southeast continues to fuel flames in both states, and the fires are emitting enough smoke to keep air quality conditions poor across the area.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
Videos of the crash site shared on social media showed the remains of the aircraft in flames.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
Matamala had smelled smoke in the air in the early evening; within five hours, flames had reached the house.
—Stefano Pozzebon, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026
Even though the West has bigger and more noticeable fast-spreading fires, the East has more people in the way of flames — what scientists call the wildland-urban interface, or WUI.
—Seth Borenstein, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
On the ceiling, where the nave and transept intersect, there will be a depiction of the Holy Spirit as a dove with radiating light and flames.
—Victoria Le, Oc Register, 26 Apr. 2026
Firefighters battled a two-alarm fire at a three-story apartment complex in Dallas Sunday night, where heavy flames and a partial roof collapse caused significant damage, officials said.
—S.e. Jenkins, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
Noun
Neighbors near the crash site described hearing a loud explosion and seeing flames shoot up from the wreckage.
—Eric MacK, FOXNews.com, 27 Apr. 2026
Record-breaking drought in the Southeast continues to fuel flames in both states, and the fires are emitting enough smoke to keep air quality conditions poor across the area.
—Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 27 Apr. 2026
Videos of the crash site shared on social media showed the remains of the aircraft in flames.
—ABC News, 27 Apr. 2026
Matamala had smelled smoke in the air in the early evening; within five hours, flames had reached the house.
—Stefano Pozzebon, CNN Money, 26 Apr. 2026
Even though the West has bigger and more noticeable fast-spreading fires, the East has more people in the way of flames — what scientists call the wildland-urban interface, or WUI.
—Seth Borenstein, Los Angeles Times, 26 Apr. 2026
On the ceiling, where the nave and transept intersect, there will be a depiction of the Holy Spirit as a dove with radiating light and flames.
—Victoria Le, Oc Register, 26 Apr. 2026
Firefighters battled a two-alarm fire at a three-story apartment complex in Dallas Sunday night, where heavy flames and a partial roof collapse caused significant damage, officials said.
—S.e. Jenkins, CBS News, 20 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flames
Noun
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The casting of two darlings of early 2000s indie cinema — Paul Giamatti as Adams and Laura Linney as First Lady Abigail Adams — was inspired.—
David Faris,
TheWeek,
24 Apr. 2026
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Names like Allan Deberton, Rafhael Barbosa, Tiago Melo and Nara Normande have launched festival darlings and have exciting new projects in the pipeline.—
Rafa Sales Ross,
Variety,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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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
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Antisemitism controversy erupts at elite NY high school after Israel flyer found in urinal.—
,
FOXNews.com,
28 Apr. 2026
-
As the murders continue, Susie and Peter and his assistant Royal Lee orbit each other until the slow-burning fuse of the mystery erupts in the final pages.—
Peter Larsen,
Oc Register,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Even if other tracks on BASS2 don’t quite rise to the same level, the record glows with new confidence.—
Harry Tafoya,
Pitchfork,
24 Apr. 2026
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There’s a Mooi wallcovering where extinct animals hide within jungle fauna in one and a freestanding Aura by Antoniolupi sink that glows translucent yellow in the other.—
Sandra Barrera,
Oc Register,
24 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Like Beckham’s dress, the 100-percent silk dress softly gleams in the light.—
Izzy Baskette,
PEOPLE,
12 Dec. 2025
-
Despite a couple of funky skips, the album is fueled by the hunger of an artist who really wants the pop life again, perking up electro-scuzz and arena rock with new wave that gleams like glitter.—
Pitchfork,
Pitchfork,
4 Dec. 2025
Noun
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The pair were high school sweethearts who married in September 2024, according to a wedding registry.—
Peter D'Abrosca,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
-
After the fatal crash, those who knew Lynnea and Luke, who were college sweethearts and small business owners, remembered the couple's legacy in their local community.—
Bailey Richards,
PEOPLE,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Studies have shown that rising temperatures due to climate change are fueling longer wildfire seasons, and making blazes both more frequent and more destructive.—
Kathryn Prociv,
NBC news,
23 Apr. 2026
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Once Orion blazes through Earth's atmosphere, the protective heat shield will be cast off to make way for parachutes to deploy and slow the vehicle down.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In the original version, Sue just starts running away screaming because the head explodes.—
Fiction Non Fiction,
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
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But this tranquility explodes when a shocking murder occurs, and a high-stakes investigation unfolds.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
21 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Flames.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flames. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
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