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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smolder
Watching as people, including friends and colleagues, post pictures of the smoldering ruins of equally beloved homes, our hearts break.
—
Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025
The smoldering rubble of houses and businesses in the Pacific Palisades on Friday.
—Mirna Alsharif, NBC News, 14 Jan. 2025
Nevertheless, a smoldering cloud hangs over this year’s awards season.
—Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2025
Looking around the smoldering grounds where she was baptized as a baby and now volunteers in the gardening department, Gabriella, 20, resisted the urge to fall to her knees in despair.
—Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for smolder 
Mary McNamara, Los Angeles Times, 14 Jan. 2025
The smoldering rubble of houses and businesses in the Pacific Palisades on Friday.
—Mirna Alsharif, NBC News, 14 Jan. 2025
Nevertheless, a smoldering cloud hangs over this year’s awards season.
—Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 22 Jan. 2025
Looking around the smoldering grounds where she was baptized as a baby and now volunteers in the gardening department, Gabriella, 20, resisted the urge to fall to her knees in despair.
—Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, 19 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for smolder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smolder
Verb
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The statement angered Washington officials, who told reporters that Ukraine was downplaying deliveries to get more support from European countries.—
Erin Banco, Anastasiia Malenko,
USA TODAY,
3 Feb. 2025
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President Trump’s controversial pick for director of national intelligence angered Republicans by refusing to condemn government leaker Edward Snowden as well as her unorthodox foreign policy views on Russia and Syria, among other concerns.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
31 Jan. 2025
Verb
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Cal Fire is still investigating the specific causes for each of the fires blazing in Los Angeles County.—
Antonio Pequeño IV,
Forbes,
23 Jan. 2025
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Sweeping away a ‘stepping stone’ to the middle class Experts once charged with enforcing antidiscrimination within the government also fear that Trump’s anti-DEI orders threaten the trails blazed by civil servants like Powell and traversed by workers like Thompson.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA TODAY,
23 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The latest: As of Monday, total snowfall in Franklin County ranged from 2 to 6.5 inches, shutting down schools and snarling roads.—
Andrew Freedman,
Axios,
7 Jan. 2025
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Heavy snow starting to accumulate in the City of Washington Heavy snow starting to accumulate in the City of Washington 01:47 A winter storm that is spreading across much of the U.S. is snarling travel, with thousands of flights either canceled or delayed on Monday morning.—
Aimee Picchi,
CBS News,
6 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The pair, who met as college undergrads, both burned with idealism and recognized their privilege could be leveraged for a game-changing idea.—
Carole Horst,
Variety,
13 Sep. 2023
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The Ellen MacArthur Foundation promotes circular fashion and says that, in the United States, an amount of clothing equal to a garbage truck is ferried to landfills or burned every second.—
Neeti Mehra,
Treehugger,
13 Sep. 2023
Verb
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The shop also sells banh tet, steamed sticky rice cakes wrapped in tropical leaves, a classic Lunar New Year dish.—
Kate Bradshaw,
The Mercury News,
27 Jan. 2025
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A couple of men who had set up a brazier sold us paper cups of steaming tea.—
Jon Lee Anderson,
The New Yorker,
27 Jan. 2025
Verb
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An unnamed Chiefs figure, atop a horse and holding a flaming football helmet, invades the Raiders’ home of Las Vegas like the legendary Headless Horseman.—
Hannah Wise,
Kansas City Star,
19 Jan. 2025
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But homes and landscaping burn, and spread flaming embers.—
Dinah Voyles Pulver,
USA TODAY,
18 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The Hurricanes snapped a three-game losing streak against the Seminoles last year.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
27 Jan. 2025
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Hill, who tied a career high with his 19th win of the season, snapped a personal three-game losing streak.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
27 Jan. 2025
Verb
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The star glowed in a metallic bronze La Pointe gown with a plunging halter neckline.—
Catherine Santino,
People.com,
3 Feb. 2025
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The star literally glowed wearing a sparkling gold two-piece set, complete with gold decal stickers pasted on her stomach.—
Tomás Mier,
Rolling Stone,
2 Feb. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near smolder
Cite this Entry
“Smolder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smolder. Accessed 9 Feb. 2025.
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