burn down

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
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.
There’s an unmistakable impression throughout that this woman… or whatever is pretending to be one… might burn down the house. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 9 Oct. 2026 Hill accused Vaccaro of indirectly being responsible for causing the fire that burned down their home in Broward County. — Armando Salguero Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2026 Investigators with the California Department of Toxic Substances Control searched the offices of the Lineage cold storage warehouse in Boyle Heights that burned down this summer as part of a criminal probe on Tuesday, authorities said. — Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026 Protesters have been seen carrying signs calling for the Elysee Palace, the nation’s presidential office, to be burned down. — Timothy Nerozzi, The Washington Examiner, 1 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for burn down

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Burn down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burn%20down. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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