enkindle

verb

in-ˈkin-dᵊl How to pronounce enkindle (audio)
Definition of enkindlenext
as in to burn
to set (something) on fire see if you can enkindle some paper in the fireplace while I look for logs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for enkindle
  1. burn
  2. ignite
  3. kindle
  4. scorch
  5. inflame
  6. illumine
  7. light
  8. fire
Verb
  • This photograph shows a fire burning at the Dobrobut medical centre following a Russian aerial attack on Kyiv on 28 September 2026, amid the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
    — Sam Meredith, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
  • Continue reading … CHIPS OFF THE TABLE — Former Obama aide says Democratic donors still feel burned, cautious after 2024.
    — , FOXNews.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of burn
Verb
  • The James Madison transfer broke the deadlock against Maryland on a fourth-and-one near midfield, taking a direct snap 45 yards to the house and igniting scoring that seemingly never stopped.
    — Connor Dullinger, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Still, the perception that the food supply is riskier has been enough to ignite political rancor.
    — Stephanie Armour, CBS News, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of ignite
Verb
  • This complicates things for Teagan, who has begun to kindle something with Cam.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2026
  • Now that fall is on the horizon, hope has been kindled for abundant rainfall.
    — Robert Klose, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of kindle
Verb
  • Check between presses to avoid overheating or scorching the fabric.
    — Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 26 Sep. 2026
  • Keep in mind that heat still radiates from the bulb, so the lamp should sit on a stable surface away from paper, fabric or anything else that could scorch.
    — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of scorch
Verb
  • The incident could further inflame tensions between the Koreas, which have no working military hotlines or other emergency communications channels as North Korea hardens its stance toward Seoul while expanding its military nuclear program.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The Hugging Face incident was a high-profile breach that inflamed the safety concerns about AI, which were followed by similar actions involving OpenAI’s models including breaching an Australian health department website.
    — Kelvin Chan, Los Angeles Times, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of inflame
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
  • The room is dimly lighted but for yellow and red string lights that produce radiant, shimmying splotches on the concrete floor.
    — Deborah Vankin, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
  • UCHealth recommends removing clutter and cords and keeping hallways well lit as simple starting points that don’t require any construction.
    — Ryan Brennan, Kansas City Star, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of light
Verb
  • The Daily Dividend Former Disney CEO Bob Chapek has stayed largely quiet about his 2022 firing from the entertainment giant.
    — Alex Harring, CNBC, 29 Sep. 2026
  • In an unprecedented July operation, a Ukrainian sea drone delivered a ground drone that then fired on Russian positions.
    — The Week US, TheWeek, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of fire
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.

Browse Nearby Words

enjoys
enkindle
enkindled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Enkindle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enkindle. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Oct. 2

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

7 Great Ways to Say 'Great'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
name tags
Words Named After People Quiz Find out who’s behind "leotard," "morphine," an...
See All