burn
verb (used without object)
to undergo rapid combustion or consume fuel in such a way as to give off heat, gases, and, usually, light; be on fire.
had burned
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past perfectof burn.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
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.
The niece was watching the World Cup on TV in Queens when she heard from a friend that her uncle had "burned himself" in front of the United Nations in Manhattan.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
By late July, wildfires had burned more than 90,000 hectares across France.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 5, 2026
Within four minutes the blaze had burned through the aircraft’s flight controls, leaving the pilots unable to control the jet manually.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 18, 2026
It had burned across 1,698 acres as of Wednesday morning.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 20, 2026
Her father had burned the blocks the day after her mother died.
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
