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.
The blazes were worsening on Friday in Canada, where more than 200 fires were burning out of control, especially in Ontario, according to authorities there.
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
Matan Grinberg, chief executive of coding automator Factory, said one executive at a top financial institution told him his employees were burning hundreds of thousands of dollars a month on tokens.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
Officials said metals were burning inside the warehouses, but did not specify what type of objects were on fire.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 28, 2026
"We were in that situation and people were burning jerseys, but the Welsh people are here," he said.
From BBC ● Nov. 29, 2025
Two large fireplaces were burning bright with large pots over the flames.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
