burns, burned, burning
to burn up
phrasal verb
To destroy something completely by fire
- 1The old house burned up in the fire.
- 2They burned up all the confidential documents.
When something is burned up, it means that it is completely destroyed by fire. This means that it is turned into ashes and cannot be used or fixed anymore. It is like when you burn a piece of paper until it disappears.
Remember that "burn up" is often used informally to mean "to become very angry." So, be careful with context to avoid confusion. For example, "She will burn up if you don't return her book."
at the clinic
The Incident at the Clinic
William
Did you hear about the fire last night?
Michael
Yes, it burned up the entire storage room.
William
That's terrible! All the supplies are gone.
Michael
We'll have to restock everything as soon as possible.
during a team discussion
The Unexpected Fire Drill
Sarah
Did you hear about the old warehouse?
Michael
Yes, it was completely burned up last night.
Sarah
I can't believe it, everything inside is gone.
Michael
It's a huge loss for the company.
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Similar to "to burn up":
- 1incinerate
- 2consume