scorch
verb (1)
\ ˈskȯrch
\
\
scorched;
scorching;
scorches
Definition of scorch
(Entry 1 of 3)
1
: to burn a surface of so as to change its color and texture
2a
: to dry or shrivel with or as if with intense heat : parch
b
: to afflict painfully with censure or sarcasm
3
: devastate
especially
: to destroy (something, such as property of possible use to an advancing enemy) before abandoning
—used in the phrase scorched earth
1
: to become scorched
2
: to travel at great and usually excessive speed
3
: to cause intense heat or mental anguish
scorching sun scorching fury
scorch
nounDefinition of scorch (Entry 2 of 3)
1
: a result of scorching
2
: a browning of plant tissues usually from disease or heat
scorch
verb (2)
scorched;
scorching;
scorches
Definition of scorch (Entry 3 of 3)
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Other Words from scorch
Verb (1)
scorchingly
\ ˈskȯr-chiŋ-lē
\
adverb
\
adverb
Examples of scorch in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Deukmejian Park burns As flames moved across La Crescenta and Glendale, scorching the hills of Deukmejian Wilderness Park, thick, gray smoke blanketed the city. — Sara Cardine, La Cañada Valley Sun, "10 years on, the Station fire remains burned into the minds of locals and fire officials," 21 Aug. 2019 An average of 72,400 wildfires cleared an average of 7 million acres of U.S. land each year since 2000, double the number of acres scorched by wildfires in the 1990s. — Claire Wolters, National Geographic, "Wildfires, explained," 11 Aug. 2019 Note: Toast the almonds in a small dry skillet over medium heat until fragrant and lightly browned, shaking the pan to avoid scorching. — Joe Yonan, Twin Cities, "This pantry-friendly white gazpacho deserves to be as famous as its red cousin," 1 Aug. 2019 Global temperatures are rising to scorching new heights as heatwaves prompt mayors in American cities to issue extreme weather advisories. — Ephrat Livni, Quartz, "Earth just experienced the hottest June in at least 140 years," 21 July 2019 Next summer's Olympics in humid Tokyo will feature a marathon that starts at 6 a.m. This year's track and field world championships are in scorching-hot Qatar, where organizers will start the marathon at midnight. — Rick Maese, courant.com, "Extreme heat is changing sports, from the Olympics to local races," 15 July 2019 Ross started the season scorching hot at the plate. — Tim Schwartz, baltimoresun.com, "Two-way star Dunn takes home Howard County baseball Player of the Year," 17 June 2019 Paradise was gutted in November when the Camp Fire scorched more than 150,000 acres and burned down nearly every building in the town, about 19,000 structures. — San Diego Union-Tribune, "Helix, Padre Dam water district workers back from Paradise," 27 Aug. 2019 San Jose scorched a record for Aug. 15 that had stood for almost 70 years, National Weather Service meteorologist Matt Mehele said. — Rick Hurd, The Mercury News, "‘Another hot day’: Bay Area temperatures soar again," 15 Aug. 2019Recent Examples on the Web: Noun
Examining tree rings and scorch marks, Stephens was able to construct a record of fires dating back to the sixteen-hundreds. — Nicola Twilley, The New Yorker, "A Trailblazing Plan to Fight California Wildfires," 19 Aug. 2019 His father drove up to the area after the crash and saw a large black scorch mark and shattered parts of the jet scattered throughout the area between the parking lot and lookout, Cassell said. — Time, "'It Looked Like a Bomb.' U.S. Fighter Jet Crashes in Death Valley National Park, Injuring 7 People," 1 Aug. 2019 The presidential helicopter isn’t supposed to leave scorch marks on the White House lawn. — Fortune, "Trump’s New Helicopter Has a Flaw: It Scorches the White House Lawn," 20 July 2019 As two-thirds of the US scorches under the sun this weekend, city officials and emergency departments are warning against the danger that pets will face. — Christina Maxouris, CNN, "More than 150 million will be in stifling heat this weekend from the Plains to Midwest to East Coast," 20 July 2019 The Newport News Daily Press reports that the torching left a large scorch mark in the pavement. — Robert Gearty, Fox News, "Video captures American flag burning at Walmart, prompts arrest," 6 July 2019 But until Friday, this one may have seemed slightly feeble, lacking the totality of scorch or swelter in which so many of us take perverse pride. — Martin Weil, Washington Post, "Heat wave feels like a familiar Washington summer," 28 June 2019 The scorch marks across the landscape are visible from satellites. — Washington Post, "Mystery crop fires scorch thousands of acres in Syria and Iraq — and ISIS claims responsibility," 8 June 2019 Both Bird and Lime seem to be wising up to the limitations of the scorch-the-earth strategy. — Johana Bhuiyan, Recode, "The bare-knuckle tactics Uber used to get its way with regulators are not going to work for scooter startups," 30 Aug. 2018Recent Examples on the Web: Verb
Porto Velho’s state of Rondonia has been scorched by 4,600 fires this month. — Washington Post, "As Amazon burns, breathing problems spike," 28 Aug. 2019 An average of 72,400 wildfires cleared an average of 7 million acres of U.S. land each year since 2000, double the number of acres scorched by wildfires in the 1990s. — Claire Wolters, National Geographic, "Wildfires, explained," 11 Aug. 2019 Now, sent a monitoring team to several construction sites, to find many workers exposed to the scorching sun. — Simon Denyer, BostonGlobe.com, "Olympics construction worker among dead as heat wave batters Japan," 9 Aug. 2019 That skin cannot cannot restore itself after it's been scorched by fire. — Brieanna J. Frank, azcentral, "As Woodbury Fire continues, Tonto National Forest officials assess damage to native vegetation," 24 June 2019 The Pentagon, scorched by reports that China and Russia were taking the lead in hypersonic weapons, now has several hypersonic weapons under development, both boost glide- and scramjet-powered. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "This New Hypersonic Missile Would Travel Faster Than Mach 5," 18 June 2019 Reuters reports fountains of lava had spewed up to 300 feet from the vents and about 104 acres of land have been scorched by lava so far. — Peter Martinez, CBS News, "Explosive eruptions, "ballistic rocks" possible from Hawaii volcano," 9 May 2018 July was a scorching month around the globe, but Dallas-Fort Worth got lucky. — Jesus Jimenez, Dallas News, "July was Earth's hottest month ever, but Dallas-Fort Worth lucked out," 15 Aug. 2019 Fourteen firefighters have died this year as wildfires have scorched about 3,500 square miles and destroyed some 3,000 homes. — Keith Ridler, The Seattle Times, "Study shows wild-land firefighters suffer health, reaction-time declines," 2 Sep. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'scorch.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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More Definitions for scorch
scorch
nounEnglish Language Learners Definition of scorch
: a damaged area or mark that is caused by burning
See the full definition for scorch in the English Language Learners Dictionary
scorch
verb
\ ˈskȯrch
\
\
scorched;
scorching