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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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.
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of smolder
Besides their long, dark hair and smoldering gazes, what do Charli XCX and Salma Hayek have in common?
—
Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 1 Feb. 2026
Blackened trees and a smoldering log made clear that fires are a common way to keep warm.
—Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 30 Jan. 2026
His smoldering stare has been illegally printed on T-shirts by dozens of small Chinese businesses through the global marketplace AliExpress.
—Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 30 Jan. 2026
Throughout the compilation of clips, Kristy smiles and smolders in the mirror while using a bottle of the luxury brand's Libre Berry Crush perfume.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smolder
Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 1 Feb. 2026
Blackened trees and a smoldering log made clear that fires are a common way to keep warm.
—Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 30 Jan. 2026
His smoldering stare has been illegally printed on T-shirts by dozens of small Chinese businesses through the global marketplace AliExpress.
—Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 30 Jan. 2026
Throughout the compilation of clips, Kristy smiles and smolders in the mirror while using a bottle of the luxury brand's Libre Berry Crush perfume.
—Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for smolder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smolder
Verb
-
But every time Trump takes to social media, angered by drug trafficking – or drone incursions, Sheinbaum Pardo has deftly reminded him of their working partnership, Jacobson said.—
Lauren Villagran,
USA Today,
13 Feb. 2026
-
In one of those realities (the actual one most of us are living in), a growing number of people across the political spectrum are angered, terrified and disgusted by actions being taken in their names by people and agencies which seem to have little or no accountability.—
Brenda Looper,
Arkansas Online,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Donnie orders all of the women out and begins to throw Molotov cocktails to trap the men, who die in a blazing inferno.—
Demetrius Patterson,
HollywoodReporter,
11 Feb. 2026
-
For many of us, a spritz is best enjoyed under a blazing sun, preferably next to the water, maybe wearing as little as possible.—
Chadner Navarro,
Vogue,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The scale of this year’s snowfall temporarily closed Hokkaido’s main airport last week, stranding hundreds of passengers, while snarling other travel, delaying train services and forcing the closure of some highways.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
4 Feb. 2026
-
But a computer outage that snarled airlines nationwide forced Kerkering to change his flight back to Philadelphia.—
Matt Gelb,
New York Times,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
If humans opt to burn more fossil fuels and increase climate pollution, that number drops to just four.—
Laura Paddison,
CNN Money,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The reasons in this case, Dunn said, include the emissions released by the new compressors — which would be powered by burning gas from the pipeline — as well the noise and vibrations produced by the facility.—
John Moritz,
Hartford Courant,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
It can also be used to wrap sandwiches or other items before heating to keep them secure, or for steaming proteins and vegetables, helping retain their moisture and nutrients.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
10 Feb. 2026
-
If using fresh, the clams should start to steam open, give up their juices, and further flavor the broth.—
Holly Riordan,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Investigators later realized the flaming vehicle was registered to Lovely's ex, according to the complaint.—
Matthew Cupelli,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Accompanied by ringing bells, ethereal music and chanting hymns, the priests gracefully moved their arms in unison, holding up various flaming brass lamps during the 45-minute serene and powerful ritual.—
Norma Meyer,
Oc Register,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Pascal Siakam scored 30 points, Andrew Nembhard had 24 points and 10 assists and the Indiana Pacers snapped a four-game losing streak by holding off the New York Knicks with a 137-134 overtime victory on Tuesday night.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
11 Feb. 2026
-
Factories added 5,000, snapping a streak of 13 straight months of job losses.—
Paul Wiseman,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
That leads to high temperatures, which create a glowing protostar due to the rapid (kinetic) motion of the internal gas particles, and eventually, after a few tens of millions of years, the core temperatures rise high enough (above 4 million K or so) that nuclear fusion of hydrogen begins.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Now imagine the same with some of those teary eyes angled down toward glowing screens, while others frame the bride with their phones.—
Nikita Khanna,
Vogue,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smolder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smolder. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
