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
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.
The first hotel, built in 1835, burned down in a fire in 30 years after its construction. Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 19 July 2025 The main stage of Tomorrowland, one of the most iconic music festivals in the world, caught fire July 16 and burned down. Mike Stunson, Miami Herald, 16 July 2025 An original lodge burned down from a kitchen fire in 1932, four years after construction was completed, according to the Grand Canyon Historical Society. CBS News, 15 July 2025 An earlier lodge that opened in the late 1920s burned down in a fire in September 1932. Rey Covarrubias Jr, AZCentral.com, 14 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for burn down

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Cite this Entry

“Burn down.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/burn%20down. Accessed 24 Jul. 2025.

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