smolder

verb

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smol·der | \ ˈsmōl-dər

variants: or smoulder

smoldered or smouldered; smoldering or smouldering\ ˈsmōl-d(ə-)riŋ

Definition of smolder

intransitive verb

1a : to burn sluggishly, without flame, and often with much smoke

b : to be consumed by smoldering —often used with out

2 : to exist in a state of suppressed activity hostilities smoldered for years

3 : to show suppressed anger, hate, or jealousy eyes smoldering with hate

Examples of smolder in a Sentence

The remains of the campfire smoldered. Her eyes smoldered with anger. Anger smoldered in my heart.

Recent Examples on the Web Experts suspect the virus will continue to smolder in Tennessee throughout the fall and winter, particularly in rural communities such as Waverly, where vaccination rates tend to be low. — Anchorage Daily News, 3 Oct. 2021 Experts suspect the virus will continue to smolder in Tennessee throughout the fall and winter, particularly in rural communities such as Waverly, where vaccination rates tend to be low. — Anchorage Daily News, 3 Oct. 2021 Experts suspect the virus will continue to smolder in Tennessee throughout the fall and winter, particularly in rural communities such as Waverly, where vaccination rates tend to be low. — BostonGlobe.com, 2 Oct. 2021 While the vaccines remain highly effective, there's reason for concern if outbreaks continue to smolder across the country. — NBC News, 12 Aug. 2021 One early magnet for the fleeing crowds was the courthouse-city hall at Randolph and Clark streets, but a few hours after the fire started its roof had begun to smolder. — Rick Kogan, chicagotribune.com, 3 Sep. 2021 While the vaccines remain highly effective, there's reason for concern if outbreaks continue to smolder across the country. — NBC News, 12 Aug. 2021 Trees and piles of debris continued to smolder, along the route, two days after the main fire burned through. — Julie Johnson, Sarah Ravani, Lauren Helper, San Francisco Chronicle, 31 Aug. 2021 Fires that ignite in Southern California in September could also smolder to the end of the year. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 23 Aug. 2021

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'smolder.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.