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.
were burning
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past progressiveof burn.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
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.
Three cars were burning, and the carport area, where officials believe the blaze started, was completely engulfed.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 23, 2026
But today he hailed a Middle East region where only "little fires" were burning now.
From BBC ● Jan. 22, 2026
He thinks this is partly because AI took so much scut work off people’s plates that their days became consumed by high-level thinking—and they were burning out.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 8, 2026
He said "large fires" were burning in non-residential buildings in the Desnyansky and Darnytsky districts.
From Barron's ● Oct. 25, 2025
After all, it was 1968, and guys were burning draft cards, and Canada was just a boat ride away.
From "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien
