burn down

phrasal verb

burned down or burnt down; burning down; burns down
1
of a building or other structure : to be destroyed by fire
The hotel burned down in 1922.
2
of a fire : to become smaller : to gradually produce less and less flame
We watched the fire as it slowly burned down.
3
: to destroy (something) by fire
Vandals burned down the school.
burned it down

Examples of burn down in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The National Black Theatre embarked on its first capital project after part of it burned down in 1986, effectively ending the school. Marley Marius, Vogue, 18 Oct. 2024 Then a fire broke out that burned down most of the set — except for Regan’s bedroom, the center of the film’s demonic activity. Katie Rife, EW.com, 13 Oct. 2024 He was killed in an explosion while allegedly attempting to burn down a house for the insurance money. Samantha Stutsman, People.com, 5 Oct. 2024 When are the people that burned down Minneapolis going to be prosecuted or in Seattle? Maya Marchel Hoff, USA TODAY, 11 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for burn down 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'burn down.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Dictionary Entries Near burn down

Cite this Entry

“Burn down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burn%20down. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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