as in burning
to set (something) on fire
police suspect that the owner torched the house for the insurance money
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 torching
The Jayhawks won despite TCU torching the KU defense for 15 made 3s on 35 attempts.
—
Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 7 Jan. 2026
The trial for New Jersey businessman Paul Caneiro for allegedly murdering four family members and torching two homes — including his own — is set to begin Monday.
—Theresa Braine, New York Daily News, 5 Jan. 2026
There were burned and vacant buildings nearby; landlords had been accused of torching properties, even with tenants inside, to get insurance payouts.
—Adriane Quinlan, Curbed, 2 Jan. 2026
Cultural institutions, including Chhayanaut and Udichi Shilpi Goshthi, were also vandalized as groups moved through parts of the city, torching buildings and damaging property.
—Mayu Saini, Sourcing Journal, 30 Dec. 2025
The military has been documented going on bloody rampages, torching and bombing villages, massacring residents, jailing opponents and forcing young men and women to join the army.
—Ross Adkin, CNN Money, 27 Dec. 2025
Following the rankings release, BYU made several posts on social media torching the committee for bumping Miami over the Cougars after not playing in the ACC championship.
—Jordan Sigler, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2025
The Dragons haven’t been overly reliant on the ground game with quarterback Angelo Renda, a Pittsburgh signee, torching opposing defenses.
—Charles Baggarly, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Dec. 2025
Continue reading … ROAD RAGE – Violent mob caught on video beating man, torching car during wild neighborhood takeover.
—FOXNews.com, 25 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for torching
Verb
-
The prescribed fire has been burning on federal land managed by the United States Forest Service for four days.—
-
The company built a retail and residential complex around the county’s Coconut Grove Metrorail station, and Martin also is pitching an incinerator site in western Miami-Dade as an alternative to the Levine Cava plan to rebuild the trash-burning facility in Doral.—
Verb
-
When Liverpool and Arsenal last met, in late August, a scorching late Dominik Szoboszlai free kick saw the reigning champions strike an ominous early blow in the title race, jumping three points ahead of their London rivals.—
-
As scorching sunshine gives way to dusk, enthusiastic attendees transition from waiting in clusters to jumping in anticipation of the pop-rock superstar’s appearance.—
Verb
-
Miley Cyrus After winning the first two Grammys of her nearly 20-year-career in February and igniting the ceremony with the most spirited performance of the night, Cyrus seemed destined to become a permanent fixture on the nominations chart.—
-
Advertisement Far from igniting a baby boom, the White House plan will only slightly decrease costs and fail people who most need IVF to grow their families.—
Cite this Entry
“Torching.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/torching. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share