burn down
Idioms-
Completely consume by fire, burn to the ground, as in Their house burned down and they had nowhere to go . [Mid-1800s]
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Diminish for lack of fuel, as in The fire will soon burn down . [Late 1800s]
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
“If you don’t have a car crash, or your house doesn’t burn down, you don’t get your premiums back later in life. What you do get is protection and peace of mind,” Butler added.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026
"The children are the most stressed. They think the fire is going to burn down the house, but we're coping," he said.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
Instead of asking him about his brilliant ideas for solving climate change, I’d like us to ask him why he’s apparently so comfortable watching it all burn down.
From Salon ● Apr. 4, 2026
"The Commons could burn down at any time."
From BBC ● Jan. 3, 2026
“I’m fine. Do you—” “Just promise me you won’t burn down my house.”
From "The Marvels" by Brian Selznick
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
