variants
or smoulder
smoldered or smouldered; smoldering or smouldering
ˈsmōl-d(ə-)riŋ 
1
a
: 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
Where my body flared like a window, then smoldered like stone, ivy
flickers.
—
Esther Lin, The New York Review of Books, 26 June 2025
Investigators were still working to determine the cause and firefighters were monitoring the situation for flare-ups from hot spots that continued to smolder around midday Tuesday, according to fire department spokesperson Craig Trojacek.
—Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 June 2025
Federal regulators grounded the entire 787 fleet worldwide for more than three months after lithium ion batteries caught fire on two of the aircraft in 2013, leading to smoldering fires in the cargo hold.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 12 June 2025
Hug says in his chronicles on the conflict that his peacekeeping contingent relied on satellite cameras to track an ever-changing labyrinth of dangers produced by the smoldering war.
—Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for smolder
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Esther Lin, The New York Review of Books, 26 June 2025
Investigators were still working to determine the cause and firefighters were monitoring the situation for flare-ups from hot spots that continued to smolder around midday Tuesday, according to fire department spokesperson Craig Trojacek.
—Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 June 2025
Federal regulators grounded the entire 787 fleet worldwide for more than three months after lithium ion batteries caught fire on two of the aircraft in 2013, leading to smoldering fires in the cargo hold.
—Bill Chappell, NPR, 12 June 2025
Hug says in his chronicles on the conflict that his peacekeeping contingent relied on satellite cameras to track an ever-changing labyrinth of dangers produced by the smoldering war.
—Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for smolder
Cite this Entry
“Smolder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smolder. Accessed 3 Jul. 2025.
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