as in to burn
to set (something) on fire
worried that lightning will kindle the forest in the drought-stricken nature preserve
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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 kindle
And in death, their reputations for kindling outrage, whether publishing controversial cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad or stoking viral arguments on college campuses – made defending freedom of speech a national priority.
—
Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 27 Sep. 2025
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
Like fall’s auburn leaves and bounty of crisp apples, checks, in all its iterations, kindle a cozy familiarity suggestive of the season.
—Andrea Zendejas, Vogue, 10 Sep. 2025
The star of Big Little Lies confessed her new film, Caught Stealing, kindles a powerful yearning for some aspects of the era.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kindle
Joseph Ataman, CNN Money, 27 Sep. 2025
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
Like fall’s auburn leaves and bounty of crisp apples, checks, in all its iterations, kindle a cozy familiarity suggestive of the season.
—Andrea Zendejas, Vogue, 10 Sep. 2025
The star of Big Little Lies confessed her new film, Caught Stealing, kindles a powerful yearning for some aspects of the era.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 1 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kindle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kindle
Verb
-
Sometimes lightning hits the mountainside and splits or burns a tree.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 Nov. 2025
-
There's a burning frustration like in the rest of the country.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
2 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
If Mamdani can ignite enthusiasm for civic engagement among Gen Z, that could be a boon for everyone.—
Diane Brady,
Fortune,
4 Nov. 2025
-
Historic data In 2024, lightning strikes ignited 305 fires in California, resulting in 90,206 acres of wildland burned, according to NIFC data.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
3 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The room replicating the crash is dimly lit, which Knarr said is because there was no moonlight coming from the sky to illuminate the sea.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
8 Nov. 2025
-
Everything is dark around us, but the collision itself is a source of energy and the flash of it lights us up.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Iran fired hundreds of ballistic missiles into Israel in response and attacked the Middle East's largest American military base in Qatar.—
MSNBC Newsweek,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 Nov. 2025
-
The news comes a week after the school fired football head coach Brian Kelly and then former athletic director Scott Woodward a few days later.—
Chris Vannini,
New York Times,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Oops … North Carolina scored early and often, on the inside and beyond the arc, in torching the Jayhawks for 58 second-half points.—
Gary Bedore,
Kansas City Star,
7 Nov. 2025
-
Their acquittal sparked the Liberty City riots in 1980, which left 18 dead and swaths of the city torched.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
7 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The fire had engulfed McCarty, scorching 73% of his body, leaving him with scars that would last an entire lifetime to come.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
6 Nov. 2025
-
Without the trees, Smith said, the street is a beacon for scorching heat.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
3 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kindle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kindle. Accessed 9 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share