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
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for enkindle
Verb
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There was a metal cot, a coal-burning stove and a bare light bulb hanging from the ceiling.—
Zoe Sottile,
CNN Money,
16 Feb. 2026 -
Our lovely Skeldale family stands together and suddenly notices the fires burning on other hills all across the countryside.—
Alice Burton,
Vulture,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Meanwhile, Rihanna has been busy building her lingerie empire, Savage X Fenty, and collaborating with Jahleel Weaver to create a portfolio of show-stopping looks and a maternity style that’s ignited its own fashion movement.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
14 Feb. 2026
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Some Israeli hostages, taken during Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel that ignited the war, have said they were held at Nasser Hospital, the largest in southern Gaza.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
14 Feb. 2026
Verb
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There’s a slender streak of humor, dry and combustible as kindling, in the film’s exploration of this absurd domestic setup, which lays out the rigid expectations of women and men alike in a punishingly conservative society.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
15 Feb. 2026
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If ‘Oxen’ occupies a region of Ulysses where Joyce’s exquisite ear for memorably musical sentences (‘Mild fire of wine kindled his veins’) takes a back seat to the leaden hum of meta-literature, that is no reason not to be awed by his chutzpah.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Saturated in the heatwave colors of Australia’s scorching Red Center, with its searing blue skies and bright orange sands, Wolfram makes the grim, lawless backwater of Wake in Fright seem positively cosmopolitan by comparison.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2026
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Unfazed as the first shooter of the event — and the first player introduced to the masses — Knueppel scorched the nets to the tune of 27 points.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
15 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Although your emotions on a contentious subject need to be heard and processed by you, airing them carelessly to others might inflame the drama further.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
19 Feb. 2026
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When that cable becomes inflamed or damaged, Tsai says, the brain’s signals struggle to reach the muscles.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
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These fruits are tiny stars, planets in arm’s reach, little moons reddened by desire and cunning, the sun, at each step, illumines the petals of the dogwood flowers, their bright yellow is dimmed by no leaf, on their still-bare branches the first fissure in winter opens up by magic.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
19 May 2025
Verb
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Edwards, who plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves and was named the game’s most valuable player, gave all the credit to Wembanyama for lighting the competitive juices of his fellow All-Stars.—
Broderick Turner,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Feb. 2026
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With the lights turned off, many in the crowd of 93,103 held up lighters and lit matches in tribute.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
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These boats have the vertical launch system (VLS), which could be used to fire new high-speed anti-ship missiles displayed at China’s Victory Day parade in Beijing last fall.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
17 Feb. 2026
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Police said one of the males in the fight brandished a handgun and fired gunshots at others.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
16 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Enkindle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/enkindle. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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