to burn something to the ground
English Meaning & Definitions
To destroy a building or structure completely by fire so that nothing remains above the surface.
- “The invading army threatened to burn the entire fortress to the ground.”
- “An electrical fault caused a massive fire that burned the historic theater to the ground.”
To completely and ruthlessly destroy, dismantle, or ruin a system, organization, or project, usually to start over from scratch.
- “Frustrated with the endless corruption, the new director decided to burn the department to the ground and rebuild it.”
- “Instead of patching up the flawed software code, they chose to burn it to the ground and write a new program.”
English Synonyms & Near Equivalents
English Antonyms & Opposites
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “to burn something to the ground”.
Derived from literal destruction by fire where a building or structure is completely consumed down to the foundation level (the ground), this phrase has been used in English for centuries. Over time, it also evolved metaphorical applications, describing the complete and utter destruction, dismantling, or abandonment of an institution, system, or relationship to start entirely anew.
Picture a building engulfed in roaring flames until not a single wall remains standing, leaving only flat dirt on the ground.
Frequently Asked Questions About “to burn something to the ground”
1. What is the meaning of “to burn something to the ground” in English?
In English, to burn something to the ground (idiom) is defined as: “To destroy a building or structure completely by fire so that nothing remains above the surface.”.
2. How do you use “to burn something to the ground” in a sentence?
“The invading army threatened to burn the entire fortress to the ground.”
3. What are English synonyms of “to burn something to the ground”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “to burn something to the ground”?
Derived from literal destruction by fire where a building or structure is completely consumed down to the foundation level (the ground), this phrase has been used in English for centuries. Over time, it also evolved metaphorical applications, describing the complete and utter destruction, dismantling, or abandonment of an institution, system, or relationship to start entirely anew.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →A measurement of time indicating an instantaneous occurrence or a state where no time has elapsed.
The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.