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Meaning & use

burn through

phrase·Everyday

Last updated

UK/ˌbɜːn ˈθruː/
US/ˌbɝːn ˈθruː/

Meanings

  1. phrasephrasal verb

    to use up money, time, or supplies quickly and carelessly until little or none is left.

    Grammar: Takes an object after through: burn through your savings. The object cannot go between burn and through.

    Patterns

    • burn through something
    • burn through money/cash/savings
    • burn through time
    • burn through supplies

    The company burned through two million dollars in its first year.

    We burned through our whole food supply in three days.

    She burned through her savings while she looked for work.

  2. phrasephrasal verbinformal

    to finish something very fast, especially because you enjoy it or need it urgently.

    Grammar: Used with things you consume or use, such as books, episodes, or fuel; often suggests speed rather than waste.

    Patterns

    • burn through something
    • burn through a book/series
    • burn through fuel

    He burned through the whole series in one weekend.

    The old car burns through oil, so check it often.

    I burned through three notebooks writing that report.

  3. phrasephrasal verb

    to destroy something completely with fire, leaving a hole or nothing behind.

    Grammar: Used for fire or heat passing through a material; often passive: the roof was burned through.

    Patterns

    • burn through something
    • something burns through something
    • be burned through

    The flames burned through the wooden floor in minutes.

    The acid burned through the metal pipe.

    Sparks burned through the tent fabric.

  4. phrasephrasal verbfigurative

    to lose patience or goodwill until it is gone, especially after repeated problems.

    Grammar: Used with abstract things like patience or trust; common in discussions of relationships and politics.

    Patterns

    • burn through patience/goodwill
    • burn through trust

    The delays burned through the passengers' patience.

    He burned through all the goodwill he had built up with the team.

Common combinations

burn through cash
Startups often burn through cash faster than they expect.
burn through savings
They burned through their savings during the long illness.
burn through a budget
The department burned through its budget by June.
burn through fuel
Big engines burn through fuel quickly.
burn through patience
Repeated excuses burned through her patience.

Synonyms and how they differ

squander
Squander means to waste money or chances foolishly, focusing on bad judgment, while burn through stresses how fast the supply disappears.
use up
Use up is neutral and simply means to finish a supply; burn through suggests speed or carelessness.
devour
Devour is used for reading or eating something eagerly and fast, and is more vivid and literary than burn through.

Opposites

saveconserve

Commonly confused: burn through or go through? burn through or break through?

burn through vs go through

Go through also means to use or examine something, but it is neutral about speed: we went through the money slowly. Burn through always suggests fast or wasteful use.

burn through vs break through

Break through means to pass a barrier or make a sudden advance, not to use up a supply: the sun broke through the clouds.

Practice

The team ___ its entire travel budget before the end of the season.

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