flames 1 of 2

noun

plural of flame
as in darlings
a person with whom one is in love decided to look up an old flame while she was in town

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flames

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of flame
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

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2
as in erupts
to develop suddenly and violently my anger flamed when the usher told my friend to shut up

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3
as in glows
to shine with a bright harsh light the noonday sun flamed down on the desert travelers

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4
as in gleams
to shoot forth bursts of light the actress's ruby necklace flamed dazzlingly under the bright lights

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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 flames
Noun
An off-duty KCPD detective and a Clay County sheriff’s deputy immediately jumped into action last week after spotting a Ford F-150 pickup truck engulfed in flames along Interstate 35 — and the whole thing was caught on camera. — Jenna Ebbers, Kansas City Star, 6 Oct. 2026 Lemmo Lemmo's gone with a 960-Wh semi-solid state battery, which reportedly allows for up to 110 miles (180 km) of range and won't go up in flames from punctures or thermal runaway incidents. — New Atlas, 6 Oct. 2026 Researchers learned fumes accumulated in restaurants because pilot lights (small flames inside gas stoves that stay continuously lit) continued to burn gas after kitchens closed and ventilation fans were off. — Tony Briscoe, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026 The dramatic daytime strike on the national landmark saw people clinging to windows to escape flames and thick smoke billowing out of the structure. — Yuliya Talmazan, NBC news, 5 Oct. 2026 Press the lip down to prevent it from reaching the broiler flames. — Candy Hom, AJC.com, 5 Oct. 2026 That initial storyline in Yellowstone [with Kayce and Monica] was almost Romeo & Juliet; two people who weren’t really supposed to be together because of a family feud, and couldn’t help but be in love; twin flames. — Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 5 Oct. 2026 Thousands of spectators lined the Chicago River to watch floating mock-ups of Victorian houses become engulfed by flames — a la the Great Chicago Fire of 1871 — but the buildings failed to ignite. — Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026 Earlier test flights ventured no farther than the Indian Ocean halfway around the world, often crashing in flames and briefly skimming space. — Arkansas Online, 29 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for flames
  1. darlings
  2. burns
  3. erupts
  4. glows
  5. gleams
  6. sweethearts
  7. blazes
  8. explodes
Noun
  • Drastic Measures, Wild Child and their owner, Sanders, have become national darlings in the cocktail world over the last several years.
    — Katelyn Umholtz, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2026
  • This was hailed as a victory for all software-as-a-service companies, which were emerging as industry darlings.
    — Srinivas Velamoor, Forbes.com, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of darlings
Verb
  • California no longer burns or buys electricity generated by coal.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 2 Oct. 2026
  • From there, Watkins takes Stacey into stranger territory, turning her personal crisis into a commentary on climate change and how people continue to carry on as the world burns.
    — Michelle F. Solomon, Miami Herald, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of burns
Verb
  • Cockpit fight erupts The reason for the emergency soon became clearer.
    — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 30 Sep. 2026
  • During surveillance, Joe recognizes one of the men involved in her abduction, setting off an operation that erupts into a deadly restaurant shootout.
    — Deirdre Durkan, PEOPLE, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of erupts
Verb
  • The tool relies on a soluble liquid substitute that glows during the reaction, reducing measurement times to minutes and enabling rapid evaluation of large libraries of enzyme variants.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The number 10 alludes to Yom Kippur, which falls on the 10th day of Tishrei, when the moon glows brighter.
    — Ben Corn, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of glows
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
Definition of gleams
Noun
  • For every couple who were childhood best friends or high school sweethearts, there’s another who didn’t cross paths until much later in life.
    — Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The family soon moved to Kentucky, where Kingsolver’s parents, high-school sweethearts, had been born and raised, and settled in the small town of Carlisle, where another daughter was born.
    — Casey Cep, New Yorker, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of sweethearts
Verb
  • Continue reading … JONATHAN TURLEY — Justice Alito blazes the ethical path the Supreme Court should take.
    — , FOXNews.com, 2 Oct. 2026
  • As the flames approached the community in July, the majority of the village’s 3,500 residents were forced to flee their homes, as hundreds of firefighters were deployed to tackle blazes more violent and unpredictable than in previous years.
    — Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of blazes
Verb
  • When the gang war that’s been building all along between the Greasers and the Socs finally explodes in the second act, the violence is conveyed through movement, lighting, sound and just all around scenic brilliance.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Continue reading … ‘NEVER-ENDING’ — Huge number of noncitizens found on voter rolls as Mike Lee explodes on 'honor system'.
    — , FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of explodes

Phrases Containing flames

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flamers
flames
flames out
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Cite this Entry

“Flames.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/flames. Accessed 9 Oct. 2026.

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