as in pile
a quantity of wood heaped together for burning a dead body
a funeral pyre
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Recent Examples of pyre
Thecla is stripped naked and placed on a pyre, but no flames touch her.
—
Christy Cobb, The Conversation, 16 Jan. 2026
By analyzing the bones and pyre sediments, researchers believe that hunter-gatherers cremated the body of a woman about 9,500 years ago, according to their study published Thursday in the journal Science Advances.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 6 Jan. 2026
At Mount Hora, archaeologists discovered the oldest human cremation in Africa and the oldest in situ adult pyre in the world.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 4 Jan. 2026
In the dry California hills, an intentional community tries to build a pyre for one of its own, and, in the complex and mendacious aftermath, may end up sort of burning down the nation-state.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pyre
Christy Cobb, The Conversation, 16 Jan. 2026
By analyzing the bones and pyre sediments, researchers believe that hunter-gatherers cremated the body of a woman about 9,500 years ago, according to their study published Thursday in the journal Science Advances.
—Ashley Strickland, CNN Money, 6 Jan. 2026
At Mount Hora, archaeologists discovered the oldest human cremation in Africa and the oldest in situ adult pyre in the world.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 4 Jan. 2026
In the dry California hills, an intentional community tries to build a pyre for one of its own, and, in the complex and mendacious aftermath, may end up sort of burning down the nation-state.
—Helen Shaw, New Yorker, 14 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pyre
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pyre
Noun
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Mendoza will mark the best moment of his life by hugging NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and throwing on the New Era 2026 NFL Draft On Stage Pre-Curved 9FIFTY Snapback Hat in Black and Silver, with a pile of skulls printed on the inside, as seen here.—
Megan Armstrong,
MSNBC Newsweek,
30 Mar. 2026
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San Jose didn’t follow through on the threats to take ownership of the property, but the city did use the receiver to coax the owner to bulldoze the property and remove piles of fire-scarred debris from the empty lots.—
George Avalos,
Mercury News,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
What's left of the home is a heap of debris.—
Noel Brennan,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Your job is to pick and choose your way through the heap.—
Zachary Fine,
New Yorker,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
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This results in a fully transparent, flexible film that combines both sensing technologies in a single ultra-thin stack while maintaining optical clarity and light transmission.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Apr. 2026
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Following a moderated conversation, there will be a screening of Lynne’s new film Every Contact Leaves a Trace, a rumination of memory and assumptions using as inspiration a stack of business cards collected over 40 years.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
1 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The agricultural region in the hills of northeast Oceanside has long been known for its commercial production of flowers, tomatoes, avocadoes, citrus and other crops.—
Phil Diehl,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Mar. 2026
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City of Steamboat Springs But the impact of Howelsen Hill goes beyond Olympians; Bannister said the hill is still the heart of the mountain community.—
Spencer Wilson,
CBS News,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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While the deception operation was ongoing, the agency used its capabilities to track the crew member in a mountain crevice, the official said.—
Olivia Rinaldi,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
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Granville’s exploits included skiing over the Carpathian mountains during the war to deliver microfilms with cyanide sewed into her skirts and a hunting knife tucked into her trousers.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pyre.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pyre. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
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