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.
Oxford said he and Walters had burned their clothes, masks, and boots in a trash barrel at his grandmother’s house outside town.
From Slate ● Sep. 17, 2026
They said that, as of Sunday evening, the fire had burned around 10,500 acres and was 0% contained.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
Dimos Economou, who lives close to Porto Germeno in nearby Vilia and came to help, said many homes had burned.
From Barron's ● Aug. 1, 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
By the time the firemen came, the house had burned down completely.
From "The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child" by Francisco Jiménez
