variants
or smoulder
1
as in to anger
to be excited or emotionally stirred up with anger
She smoldered when first learning of her son's misbehavior at school, but had calmed down by the time he arrived home.
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2
as in to blaze
to be on fire usually with smoke but few flames
They look forward to those long summer nights telling stories beside a smoldering campfire.
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smolder
When just a few smoldering spots remained, the group gathered to debrief and share H-E-B sandwich trays.
—
Julia James, Dallas Morning News, 26 Mar. 2026
Then, trace your finger to its peak, which, to me, was his starring role as smoldering special forces operative Scott McCoy in the 1986 action movie The Delta Force, co-starring a frail-looking but grizzled and unsmiling Lee Marvin in his last movie.
—John Devore, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2026
In a post on X, Afghan deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat announced the attack and death toll after social media footage showed the smoldering ruin of the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 17 Mar. 2026
For about a week, the fire smoldered at low intensity, doing its work on a patch of roughly 120 acres.
—New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smolder
Julia James, Dallas Morning News, 26 Mar. 2026
Then, trace your finger to its peak, which, to me, was his starring role as smoldering special forces operative Scott McCoy in the 1986 action movie The Delta Force, co-starring a frail-looking but grizzled and unsmiling Lee Marvin in his last movie.
—John Devore, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2026
In a post on X, Afghan deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat announced the attack and death toll after social media footage showed the smoldering ruin of the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 17 Mar. 2026
For about a week, the fire smoldered at low intensity, doing its work on a patch of roughly 120 acres.
—New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smolder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smolder
Verb
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Although this was not the first time Ticketmaster’s price surges had angered fans, the controversies reached a new peak just months later when botched ticket sales for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour triggered widespread outrage and congressional scrutiny.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
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Fellow cast member Meghan King became skeptical of his symptoms and questioned his illness, which angered many of her costars — including Gunvalson.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Once Orion blazes through Earth's atmosphere, a protective heat shield will be cast off to make way for parachutes to deploy and slow the vehicle down.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
2 Apr. 2026
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Sink and Jupe’s chemistry is palpable, and their first kiss is slow and sweet, with Sink’s face blushing a blazing red.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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As long as missiles and drones keep flying and traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is snarled, there's the potential for things to get out of control.—
Zev Fima,
CNBC,
5 Apr. 2026
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Easter weekend forecast Over the holiday weekend, some areas of the United States are in store for less-than-ideal weather that could snarl plans for Easter egg hunts and travel.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The analysis, released Friday by the California Department of Insurance and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, found that meeting wildfire safety standards for roughly 30,000 homes within the Eaton and Pacific Palisades burn areas would significantly cut average annual losses.—
City News Service,
Daily News,
31 Mar. 2026
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Around 2,000 acres at Camp Ripley in north-central Minnesota have burned due to a wildfire that broke out in the area on Sunday, officials with the military training center said.—
Nick Lentz,
CBS News,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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As of Tuesday morning, the Audace was steaming past the Bahamas while Total’s gas trading desk fields bids from potential buyers in Europe and Asia.—
Tim McDonnell,
semafor.com,
31 Mar. 2026
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This all comes as the legal fight over the audit steams ahead, over 15 months after 72% of the state signed off on the ballot measure.—
Lance Reynolds,
Boston Herald,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There are blinking bacteria, flaming fungus, shimmering squid, and flashing fish.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
2 Apr. 2026
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Aside from the game, Banana Ball also features a number of hijinks, including dancing base coaches and umpires and hitters wielding flaming bats.—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The Knicks went on to defeat the tanking, depleted Grizzlies handily, a 130-119 win good enough to snap a depressing three-game losing streak against the Charlotte Hornets, Houston Rockets and Oklahoma City Thunder.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
2 Apr. 2026
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Next, Isbel recorded an RBI single to snap his offensive slump against Ryan.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Hundreds of monarch butterflies are painted across the translucent panels, and when sunlight shines through, the structure glows in rich amber tones.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Steinfeld glowed in a gorgeous peachy-pink Prada gown covered in silver studs.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
2 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smolder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smolder. Accessed 7 Apr. 2026.
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