burn the candle at both ends

VERB

do too much

Synonyms

WEAK

bite off more than one can chew go to extremes go too far keep one's nose to the grindstone overdo overextend oneself slave spread oneself too thin stay on the treadmill take on too much

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Because we can, because we're young, we push ourselves too hard, we burn the candle at both ends, she said, which created problems that arose when people where in their 50s.

From BBC • Jan. 19, 2026

I certainly know what it is like to burn the candle at both ends.

From New York Times • Aug. 25, 2018

In a LinkedIn post last year, The Huffington Post president and editor-in-chief Arianna Huffington revealed that she’s often asked if young people pursuing their dreams should burn the candle at both ends?

From Time • Jul. 24, 2015

It’s time for parents to wake up: Children simply cannot burn the candle at both ends.

From Washington Post

Can't burn the candle at both ends, can you?

From St. Cuthbert's by Knowles, Robert E.