ENKINDLE Synonyms: 50 Similar and Opposite Words

enkindle

verb

in-ˈkin-dᵊl

Definition of enkindle

as in to burn

to set (something) on fire see if you can enkindle some paper in the fireplace while I look for logs

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Recent Examples of Synonyms for enkindle

Verb

Fans of Dolly Parton have erected a memorial at the legendary singer-songwriter’s star on Nashville’s Music City Walk of Fame, placing flowers, cards and candles that continue to burn into the morning hours.

— Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 25 Aug. 2026
At least five structures are known to have been burned, and additional damage assessments are expected to be conducted later Tuesday today.

— Harriet Ramos, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Aug. 2026

Definition of burn

Verb

The attack helped ignite the East Coast–West Coast rap rivalry that many believe eventually contributed to his murder.

— Lisa Respers France, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
Europe’s summer wildfires are igniting and uncovering rusted bombs and mines from WWI and WWII, turning old battlefields into hazardous zones for firefighters and nearby communities.

— Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of ignite

Verb

This wildfire season was supercharged by heavy rains in January that spurred vegetation growth, which became kindling when the summer heat arrived.

— Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026
In northern states, like Washington and Oregon, the dry weather could further kindle destructive fires that have scorched thousands of acres.

— Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026

Definition of kindle

Verb

While blistering heat continues to scorch much of the nation's southern tier, the Midwest and Northeast are enjoying a brief fall preview.

— Doyle Rice, USA Today, 25 Aug. 2026
Rémi Lecoutre, deputy head gardener at the Claude Monet House and Gardens museum, gave France 24 a tour, which revealed the nasturtiums to be completely wiped out; many other flowers appeared scorched or dead.

— News Desk, Artforum, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of scorch

Verb

Fantastic, illumined by periodic excursions into surrealism, as when the crew of a mysterious UFO boards a transpacific Kahuna Airlines jet midflight.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 9 Apr. 2026
Geraldine walked over to Felix and Jane’s for fish soup, through long autumn shadows in the park, haze rising like smoke from the grass, illumined by the low sun.

— Tessa Hadley, New Yorker, 25 Jan. 2026

Definition of illumine

Verb

During the first hour, pine grove owners urged fire commanders to light a backfire a few hundred yards from Le Porge.

— Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
Down the hall, his girlfriend examines her birth chart, lights the palo santo and wonders whether Mercury is going to wreck her Tuesday.

— Ryan Zickgraf, Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of light

Verb

The scale of this reliance was particularly evident during the 2022 fighting in the Donbas region, when Russian forces were firing approximately 20,000 artillery rounds per day, with peak rates exceeding 32,000 rounds on some days.

— Vikram Mittal, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Iran still has enough drones and missiles to fire at vessels transiting the vital energy waterway, through which 20% of the world’s oil normally flows, effectively controlling much of the traffic in the strait.

— Konstantin Toropin, Fortune, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of fire

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Browse Nearby Words

enjoys

enkindle

enkindled

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“Enkindle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enkindle. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of enkindle

verb

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