INCINERATE Synonyms: 36 Similar and Opposite Words

incinerate

verb

Definition of incinerate

as in to ignite

to burn (something) completely The waste is incinerated in a large furnace.

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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 incinerate According to Empa, epoxy-containing composites commonly end up being incinerated or sent to landfills. — New Atlas, 6 Sep. 2026 Cars and batteries and plastics and metals and other things were incinerated, and a toxic plume traveled for miles. — Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times, 1 Sep. 2026 The truck eventually explodes, seemingly incinerating the T-1000. — ArsTechnica, 28 Aug. 2026 Even after treatment, some could not be recycled and had to be sent to landfill or incinerated. — Georgina Jedikovska, Interesting Engineering, 20 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for incinerate

Recent Examples of Synonyms for incinerate

Verb

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
The discovery is the latest instance of CDE leadership telling employees bedbugs are not in the building, only for more to be discovered at a later date and igniting doubt among CDE’s workforce on whether treatment is effective.

— Corey Schmidt, Sacbee.com, 3 Oct. 2026

Definition of ignite

Verb

Oura might not be under the same pressure to access capital as a cash-burning startup.

— Morgan Chittum, Fortune, 6 Oct. 2026
The scene is a sensory one, with layered cowhide rugs, leather armchairs, a wood-burning fire, and twinkling chandeliers that were original to the Pulitzers’ home.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of burn

Verb

Garfield plays Sam as a charming villain, capable of talking himself back into the leadership position even after he has been fired by the board for shady dealings.

— David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 6 Oct. 2026
The movie charts the evolution of OpenAI and dramatizes the tumultuous time when Altman was controversially fired and then rehired by the AI giant.

— Rebecca Rubin, Variety, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of fire

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

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incidents

incinerate

incinerated

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“Incinerate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/incinerate. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of incinerate

verb

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