as in burning
to set (something) on fire
worried that lightning will kindle the forest in the drought-stricken nature preserve
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in fuel
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kindling
Corey Buhay, Outside Online, 18 June 2025
Kenny stated that a similar but different brand of fire-starter kindling as was used in the Bushwick arson was used in Wednesday’s incident.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 18 June 2025
Evan Bush, NBC news, 15 Sep. 2025
Even minor parks or embers might be carried into leaves or grass, kindling a fire that can swiftly expand.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kindling
Verb
The next few weeks in particular are expected to bring hot, dry weather, which could turn all that veg to kindling.
—Corey Buhay, Outside Online, 18 June 2025
Kenny stated that a similar but different brand of fire-starter kindling as was used in the Bushwick arson was used in Wednesday’s incident.
—Thomas Tracy, New York Daily News, 18 June 2025
Noun
Science builds on prior insights, and a handy repository of past advances serves as kindling for future discoveries.
—Evan Bush, NBC news, 15 Sep. 2025
Even minor parks or embers might be carried into leaves or grass, kindling a fire that can swiftly expand.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kindling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kindling
Verb
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These bones are covered by thinner layers of muscle and fat and would have been more prone to burning if a body were placed over a fire.—
Mindy Weisberger,
CNN Money,
15 Sep. 2025
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Farad Fire has been burning on private land.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The company’s small, high-efficiency multi-fuel engine-generator almost doubles the range of today’s longest-range battery electric vehicles.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Sep. 2025
-
With fuel costs remaining steady the last few months and less expensive than earlier in 2025, the number of states averaging less than $3 per gallon has increased compared to 2024.—
Washington Examiner Staff,
The Washington Examiner,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Freeland took exception to Rafael Devers’ admiration of his first-inning home run, igniting the benches-clearing episode.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
13 Sep. 2025
-
Hamas killed about 1,200 people in its attack on southern Israel and captured another 251 as hostages, igniting the ongoing Gaza war.—
Amira El-Fekki,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The setting underscored the collection’s drama without overshadowing the clothes, creating an immersive moment where every detail — from lighting to soundtrack — amplified the power of the garments.—
Lisa Lockwood,
Footwear News,
17 Sep. 2025
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Place the candle securely in the holder inside the pumpkin before lighting it.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The payloads flying on the Progress mission include food, experiments, clothing, water, air, and propellant to be pumped into the space station's onboard tanks.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Essentially, a nuclear rocket engine is a reactor that has hydrogen running through it as a propellant, which is heated to an astonishing 3,000 K (2,727 °C, 4,940 °F), giving it almost twice the efficiency in terms of thrust and specific impulse as a chemical rocket.—
David Szondy
September 10,
New Atlas,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The resulting scorching ash cloud reached as high as 16 miles into the atmosphere, darkening the sky and causing homes and businesses as far as 300 miles away to close.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
16 Sep. 2025
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A’ja Wilson, incumbent MVP and leader of scorching Las Vegas, seeks the award for the fourth time in her career.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
14 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Those batteries will then lead to cost, weight and material savings, creating an attractive selection of affordable, efficient new-energy vehicles, reported New Atlas.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Sep. 2025
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The people advancing that grassroots energy theory tended to be electoral underperformers themselves.—
David Weigel,
semafor.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Noun
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As demand for electricity surged to power more electric devices in homes and Big Tech's boom in data centers, renewable energy has been the go-to source for the cheapest, fastest way to generate more juice.—
Jeff Young,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Sep. 2025
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Meanwhile, global demand for data center capacity could more than triple by 2030, requiring upgrades in power, cooling, and connectivity.—
Maurice Obeid,
Forbes.com,
17 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kindling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kindling. Accessed 20 Sep. 2025.
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