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.
Now, however she has seen the region she loves reduced to ashes.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 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
The kids, who had watched with anticipation as the lot transformed from ashes and rubble into a new house, were eager to settle in.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 20, 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
His throat was dry as ashes, but he swallowed down a gulp.
From "Two Degrees" by Alan Gratz
It recommended that the home Ashes cricket series be made free-to-view, but this was shelved when Labour lost power in 2010.
From BBC ● Jul. 21, 2026
McCullum admitted to over-estimating the younger players' preparedness for the hostility faced on and off the field during an Ashes tour.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
England have lost seven of their past nine Tests, including the 4-1 Ashes hammering in Australia.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
The Zimbabwean was in charge of England between 2009 and 2014, ultimately leaving after a 5-0 away Ashes defeat.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
Only Ashes, Nippy, and Curly jumped up to give me greetings.
From "The Journey of Little Charlie" by Christopher Paul Curtis
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.
