ruins or remains, as after destruction or burning
the city was left in ashes
the remains of a human body after cremation
from the mock obituary of English cricket in The Times in 1882 after a great Australian victory at the Oval, in which it was said that the body would be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A funeral will likely take place over livestream once Magnolia's sisters receive her ashes.
From Barron's ● Jul. 2, 2026
Ruth’s mother told her that when she dies, her wishes are to have her ashes mixed with her husband’s and spread at one of their favorite places.
From MarketWatch ● Jun. 30, 2026
What survives in the ashes of McCarthy’s fable is the elemental love that bonds a parent and a child.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026
On top of the cathedral, amid ashes swirling in the wind, workers were already setting up a new roof to protect the building and its collection of icons.
From Barron's ● Jun. 16, 2026
The wind brought the rest of the burning cabin down to ashes, soaking it with icy rain.
From "Root Magic" by Eden Royce
It would not be surprising if the same happened again and if it does, England will not play with the red ball until the home Ashes next summer.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
And the Ashes humiliation should not, and does not, undo everything that she leaves behind.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
A recurring question in the aftermath of the Ashes - one of many - was who would replace Knight as captain, and why was England's succession planning so poor?
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
The mess could have been avoided had decisive action been taken after the Ashes.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
Ashes scattered as he tamped, and a serpent of condensed smoke escaped into the already thick air.
From "I Will Always Write Back" by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda
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.
