1
as in boiling
having a notably high temperature
in our air-conditioned office, we were oblivious to the searing heat outside
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in harsh
difficult to endure
the undersecretary looked chastened as he listened to the congressman's searing rebuke
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
2
as in drying
to make dry
the clear desert air is seared by the summer sun
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Examples Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of searing
Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 13 Oct. 2024
This is a searing drama with an abundance of style and hallucinatory visual splendor, but one in which every choice feels deliberate and meaningful, too.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2024
Because of the Lego format, this isn’t a searing interrogation but a celebrity-friendly portrait.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2024
Some even seek out white-hot foods, excited to challenge their digestion to the most searing peppers on the planet.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 9 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for searing 
Adjective
In the mid-18th century, some scientists were skeptical that there would ever be a way to represent all the varied phenomena of hot and cold—a pan’s searing surface, a steamy jungle, the chill of a glacier—with a single number.
—Ross Andersen, The Atlantic, 13 Oct. 2024
This is a searing drama with an abundance of style and hallucinatory visual splendor, but one in which every choice feels deliberate and meaningful, too.
—Radhika Seth, Vogue, 11 Oct. 2024
Because of the Lego format, this isn’t a searing interrogation but a celebrity-friendly portrait.
—Katie Walsh, Los Angeles Times, 10 Oct. 2024
Some even seek out white-hot foods, excited to challenge their digestion to the most searing peppers on the planet.
—Sandee Lamotte, CNN, 9 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for searing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for searing
Adjective
-
One idea is that about a million years after the Big Bang, the universe cooled and underwent a phase transition, an event similar to how boiling water turns liquid into gas.Yasemin Saplakoglu, Scientific American, 3 Mar. 2020
-
If candy is still stuck on, pour more boiling water over whatever hasn’t come clean.Washington Post, Washington Post, 3 Dec. 2019
Adjective
-
Trump has promised to enact a new fiscal and economic regime, including harsh tariffs that some economists fear could have inflationary effects.Elizabeth Robinson, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
-
For centuries, herders looking for summer pastures were the main presence in this harsh and inhospitable region some 14,000 feet (4,200 meters) above sea level in the eastern Himalayas.Simone McCarthy, CNN, 5 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
At private equity firm TPG, global head of human resources Anna Edwin poised one of the most burning questions for business leaders in thinking through their future talent strategies.Ryan Hogg, Fortune, 15 Oct. 2024
-
Social media star Hannah Neeleman and her husband Daniel Neeleman are answering fans' most burning question.Charmaine Patterson, Peoplemag, 30 July 2024
Adjective
-
Tyson was known for his brutal knockouts, as his first 19 fights ended early — 12 in the first round.Greg Rosenstein, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024
-
In our age of brutal wars, authoritarian politics, cultures of contempt, and technology that promises to replace us with machines, what is left of the idea of the human being?George Packer, The Atlantic, 5 Nov. 2024
Verb
-
An unprecedented heat wave is scorching parts of the western United States at the start of October with record-breaking temperatures and lingering excessive heat alerts expected to last into the weekend.Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY, 3 Oct. 2024
-
One of the most common mishaps when cooking is burning your food and/or scorching your pans.Cody Godwin, USA TODAY, 2 Oct. 2024
Adjective
-
Residents were also instructed to clean and scrub any containers with hot soapy water or bleach to remove any Aedes aegypti eggs and leave them to dry for at least a day.Nollyanne Delacruz, The Mercury News, 16 Nov. 2024
-
Top with the remaining Sichuan pepper oil, pine nuts, and cilantro, and serve hot with rice.Lois Goh, Saveur, 13 Nov. 2024
Adjective
-
By that logic, the Union is the oppressive force, and her movement is the real resistance.Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 11 Oct. 2024
-
Debuting in 2014, Watch Dogs is an action-adventure game immersing players in the world of skilled hackers who use technology to combat oppressive forces controlling major cities across the world.Matt Grobar, Deadline, 13 Sep. 2024
Adjective
-
Meanwhile, molten salt flows through natural circulation, cooling the core.David Szondy, New Atlas, 31 July 2024
-
The very center of the planet, a solid ball of iron and nickel floating in a sea of molten rock, appears to be slowing down in relation to the movement of Earth itself.Tyrone Beason, Los Angeles Times, 24 July 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near searing
Cite this Entry
“Searing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/searing. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share