Practice
Phrasal verbs with burn: meanings and examples
One shop can burn down in a fire, while a light bulb can burn out at home. The word after burn changes what the sentence says happened.
Choose a common phrasal verb with burn by matching its particle to the result described in a sentence.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
The hallway light burned out. /ðə ˈhɔlˌweɪ laɪt bɝnd aʊt/
The short answer
Use burn down when fire destroys a building. Use burn out when a device stops working or a person has no energy left. Burn through means use something quickly. Burn off means use energy through activity, and burn up can mean be destroyed completely by fire.
The old warehouse burned down after a fire started near the loading area.
Why it works: Burned down tells us that the fire destroyed the building.
5 more examples
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The empty theater burned down before firefighters could save the roof.
Burned down means that fire destroyed the theater.
Not this:The empty theater
burned outbefore firefighters could save the roof. What changes: Burned out usually describes a device that stops working, so it does not fit a building destroyed by fire. -
The hallway light burned out during the evening meeting.
Burned out means that the light stopped working.
Not this:The hallway light
burned downduring the evening meeting. What changes: Burned down describes destruction by fire, not an ordinary light that stops working. -
The startup burned through its first funding within six months.
Burned through means used all or most of a supply very quickly.
Not this:The startup
burned off its first fundingwithin six months. What changes: Burn off is used for energy or calories from physical activity, not for spending money quickly. -
Rosa walked uphill to burn off some extra energy after lunch.
Burn off means use energy through physical activity.
Not this:Rosa walked uphill to
burn through some extra energyafter lunch. What changes: Burn through means use a supply quickly. Burn off is the usual choice for energy used during activity. -
The small probe burned up when it returned through the atmosphere.
Burned up means that fire destroyed the probe completely.
Not this:The small probe
burned outwhen it returned through the atmosphere. What changes: Burned out suggests that a device stopped working. Burned up describes complete destruction by fire.
Read the full guide
Start with the result. Did a fire destroy something, did a device stop, did someone use a supply too fast, or did exercise use energy? The particle points to that result, so learn burn with its small word.
Read the result first
When you read a sentence with burn, pause at the small word after it. That word tells you whether the sentence is about destruction, a broken device, fast spending, or energy used in movement. You do not need to guess from burn alone.
The hotel burned down after the kitchen fire spread.
The hotel was destroyed by fire. The result points to burn down.
What happened to the hotel?
Fire destroyed it, so burn down fits the sentence.
Use burn down for buildings
A house, store, barn, or other structure can burn down when fire destroys it. The phrase often appears without an object: The barn burned down. You can also say that fire burned a building down when you name the cause.
A candle accident burned the cabin down overnight.
The cabin is the structure that fire destroyed.
Which phrase describes a building lost in a fire?
Use burn down for the building or structure.
Use burn out for failure
A bulb, engine, or motor can burn out when it stops working. You may also hear a person say that they are burned out after a long period of pressure or work. In both cases, the person or thing cannot continue as before.
The coffee machine burned out during the busy morning shift.
The machine failed. It was not destroyed by a fire.
What does burned out say about the coffee machine?
It says that the machine stopped working.
Use burn through for supplies
When a person or group burns through money, fuel, time, or another supply, they use it very quickly. The phrase often suggests that the supply may soon be gone. Think about the speed of use, not about real flames.
The delivery van burned through fuel on the mountain road.
The van used fuel quickly because the road was steep.
What is happening to the fuel?
The van is using it quickly, so burn through fits.
Separate burn off and burn up
After a long bike ride, you can burn off energy or calories through activity. A spacecraft can burn up when fire destroys it completely. The first phrase is about energy used by a body. The second is about something lost to fire.
After the hike, Malik had burned off enough energy to feel hungry again.
Malik used energy through movement. Nothing was destroyed.
Which phrase describes a spacecraft destroyed by fire?
Use burn up when fire destroys it completely.
Before you go
Remember this
Match burn to the result in the sentence. Use burn down for a structure destroyed by fire, burn out for a device that stops working, burn through for a supply used quickly, burn off for energy used in activity, and burn up for complete destruction by fire.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
This lesson does not have the recordings needed for a listening test. Use the written questions in the guide to check your understanding.
Try the written questionsQuestions about "Phrasal verbs with burn: meanings and examples"
What does burn down mean?
Burn down means that fire destroys a building or structure. You can use it when the structure itself is the subject, as in The empty theater burned down before firefighters could save the roof. You can also name a cause, as in A candle accident burned the cabin down overnight.
The empty theater burned down before firefighters could save the roof.
What is the difference between burn down and burn out?
Burn down describes a structure destroyed by fire. Burn out usually describes a device that stops working, or a person who has no energy left after too much pressure or work. The hallway light burned out during the evening meeting means that the light failed. It does not mean that a fire destroyed the hallway.
The empty theater burned out before firefighters could save the roof.
What does burn through mean?
Burn through means use a supply very quickly. The supply may be money, fuel, time, or something similar. The startup burned through its first funding within six months means that it used the funding faster than expected. The phrase is about fast use, not about real fire.
The hallway light burned out during the evening meeting.
When do I use burn off?
Use burn off when physical activity uses energy or calories. Rosa walked uphill to burn off some extra energy after lunch describes energy used during movement. Do not use burn off for money that disappears quickly. For money, fuel, or a similar supply used fast, burn through is the better choice.
The hallway light burned down during the evening meeting.
What does burn up mean?
Burn up can have several meanings, so context is important. In this lesson, it means that fire destroys something completely. The small probe burned up when it returned through the atmosphere describes the probe being lost to fire. This is different from burn out, which usually means that a device stopped working.
The startup burned through its first funding within six months.