as in boiling
having a notably high temperature
the air conditioning was broken, and it was sweltering in the office
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Recent Examples of sweltering
Rob Davis, ProPublica, 4 Oct. 2024
On the sweltering night of Aug. 22, 2022, Hollis is plunked down on a seat outside the back door of the station near Daniel Taveras, who was popped driving into his own neighborhood.
—Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025
During a sweltering week in March 1906, American soldiers ascended Bud Dajo, a 2,000-foot volcano on the island of Jolo in the southern Philippines.
—Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
On a plane, the morning after the night before, on a sweltering hot summer’s day, or shortly after consuming a salty feast… all scenarios commonly associated with the dreaded puffy face.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sweltering
Verb
In Phnom Penh’s hot season, when the Cambodian capital’s sweltering, subtropical air routinely soars to 100 degrees, more workers than usual visited the infirmaries inside a factory that made baby clothes for Nike, the world’s largest athletic apparel brand.
—Rob Davis, ProPublica, 4 Oct. 2024
On the sweltering night of Aug. 22, 2022, Hollis is plunked down on a seat outside the back door of the station near Daniel Taveras, who was popped driving into his own neighborhood.
—Carol Marbin Miller, Miami Herald, 2 Jan. 2025
During a sweltering week in March 1906, American soldiers ascended Bud Dajo, a 2,000-foot volcano on the island of Jolo in the southern Philippines.
—Foreign Affairs, 7 Jan. 2025
On a plane, the morning after the night before, on a sweltering hot summer’s day, or shortly after consuming a salty feast… all scenarios commonly associated with the dreaded puffy face.
—Hannah Coates, Vogue, 7 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for sweltering
Recent Examples of Synonyms for sweltering
Adjective
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One idea is that about a million years after the Big Bang, the universe cooled and underwent a phase transition, an event similar to how boiling water turns liquid into gas.—
Yasemin Saplakoglu,
Scientific American,
3 Mar. 2020
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If candy is still stuck on, pour more boiling water over whatever hasn’t come clean.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
3 Dec. 2019
Verb
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Stray animals are also at risk of suffering from heat exhaustion during scorching summers.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
Newsweek,
2 Jan. 2025
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Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid scorching the milk.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
28 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Pritzker’s speech, which occurred as national Democrats were largely leaderless in countering and criticizing Trump’s early chaotic presidential moves, aimed to fill the vacuum and garnered significant attention by offering a searing response to the president for a national audience.—
Rick Pearson,
Chicago Tribune,
24 June 2025
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And first baseman Colby Thorndyke comes in with a searing swing.—
Steven Louis Goldstein,
New York Times,
21 June 2025
Adjective
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Despite Benfica’s determination to preserve the core of a potentially special team, Fernandez returned to Portugal with Chelsea hot in pursuit.—
Liam Twomey,
New York Times,
28 June 2025
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In the first, JJ makes ice cream with his parents on a hot day, and learns the recipe along the way.—
Elisabeth Sherman,
Parents,
27 June 2025
Adjective
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As in most burning issues, there is no absolutely right or wrong answer.—
Phil Blair,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 June 2025
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Keep scrolling for more can’t-miss deals and the answers to your most burning questions about Way Day.—
Ali Faccenda,
People.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Adjective
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Instead, these changes are announced millions of years before they’re actually achieved, by the activity of molten rock in Earth’s mantle.—
Sam Walters,
Discover Magazine,
25 June 2025
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As parts of the colliding plates and seafloor are pushed into Earth’s mantle, blobs of molten rock rise upwards and come into contact with water and gases, resulting in highly-explosive mix on the surface.—
David Bressan,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2025
Verb
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Those who enjoy cooking and entertaining will appreciate the generous gourmet chef’s kitchen with state-of-the-art appliances and a casual dining space, as well as a butler’s pantry for additional storage and prep.—
Emma Reynolds,
Robb Report,
7 Jan. 2025
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Roasting it in a low 250-degree oven ensured even cooking and gave us a larger safety net to prevent overcooking.—
Susan Selasky,
Detroit Free Press,
24 Dec. 2024
Verb
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A day after making the moves, the Panthers provided three hours of evidence in Tampa that focusing on the future is the prudent thing to do rather than fiddling with the embers of a smoldering 4-12 season.—
Joseph Person,
The Athletic,
31 Dec. 2024
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The sheriff’s office said Clifford’s body was found near a smoldering vehicle northeast of Tucson.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC News,
27 Dec. 2024
Cite this Entry
“Sweltering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/sweltering. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.
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