1 B2 idiomatic neutral
To use up money, resources, or a supply at a very fast rate.
"The startup was burning through its investment at an unsustainable rate."
inseparable
burn through
B2 neutral inseparable transitive
To use up a supply very quickly, or to penetrate a material by burning.
In plain English
To spend or use something up very fast, or to melt a hole through something.
What does "burn through" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B2 neutral
To melt or pierce through a material using intense heat or fire.
"The acid burned through the metal casing within minutes."
inseparable
3 B2 idiomatic informal
To complete or consume something (tasks, episodes, etc.) at a very fast pace.
"We burned through all six episodes of the series in one weekend."
inseparable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To burn a path through an object from one side to the other.
Actually means
To spend or use something up very fast, or to melt a hole through something.
Usage tip
Very common in financial and business contexts ('burning through cash'). Also used in a literal sense for fire or acid penetrating a material. The figurative sense is growing and now used in everyday speech.
Words that pair with "burn through"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
cash savings budget fuel resources steel
How to conjugate "burn through"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
burn through
I/you/we/they
3rd person
burns through
he/she/it
Past simple
burned through
yesterday
Past participle
burned through
have + pp
-ing form
burning through
continuous
Hear "burn through" in the wild
Listen to native speakers using "burn through" in real YouTube videos — click a clip to watch it on Looplines.
Keep exploring
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