kindled 1 of 2

adjective

as in burning
being on fire kindled straw was responsible for the blaze that destroyed the barn

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

kindled

2 of 2

verb

past tense of kindle
as in burned
to set (something) on fire worried that lightning will kindle the forest in the drought-stricken nature preserve

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of kindled
Verb
As the current Cartoonist Laureate of the state, she has been highly engaged in Vermont culture and history, and says her interest in this couple was kindled by Christopher Kaufman Ilstrup, director of Vermont Humanities, who encouraged her to tell their story. — Rob Salkowitz, Forbes.com, 26 June 2026 The faith of these settlers kindled a fervent Protestant piety, found in the Great Revival of the Ohio Valley frontier. — Matthew Smith, The Conversation, 8 June 2026 Lemieux was a polarizing figure in the Avs-Red Wings games, but kindled a friendship with Detroit tough guy Darren McCarty following an alumni event in 2016, leading them to participate in documentaries about how much the rivalry meant to the game. — Troy Renck, Denver Post, 28 May 2026 America's hopes for its first high-speed rail were kindled in 2008, when California voters approved a ballot measure for a train connecting Los Angeles to San Francisco in less than three hours. — Jon Wertheim, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026 Traders and investors are laser-focused on the inflation being kindled by higher oil prices. — Christopher Cann, USA Today, 25 Mar. 2026 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, 5 Feb. 2026 This is only slightly challenged by a flame kindled between Mindy and Alfie (Lucien Laviscount) earlier on in the show. — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 5 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kindled
  1. burning
  2. burned
  3. blazing
  4. ignited
  5. flaming
  6. lit
  7. flickering
  8. scorched
Adjective
  • Prosecutors said some of the money was used for recruiting new members and purchasing Ku Klux Klan robes and materials for cross-burning ceremonies.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 July 2026
  • In the case of the cross-burning incident, there is no comparison to the Jussie Smollett case.
    — Chicago Tribune, Chicago Tribune, 19 June 2026
Definition of burning
Verb
  • The wildfire had burned across an area of 30,000 acres by Sunday, information from the European Union’s Copernicus satellite mapping agency showed.
    — Elena Becatoros, Los Angeles Times, 5 July 2026
  • When the Ku Klux Klan burned crosses on the lawn of other beach neighbors, the only Jewish family in town, my dad tracked down the local Klan leader and told him to back off, or else.
    — Maureen Dowd, Mercury News, 4 July 2026
Definition of burned
Adjective
  • Its most striking feature, however, is tied to Houston’s blazing 12-season NBA career.
    — Demetrius Simms, Robb Report, 24 June 2026
  • The unexpected design adds instant intrigue to the space while still serving the functional role of offering a cool respite from the sun's blazing rays.
    — Wendy Rose Gould, Martha Stewart, 23 June 2026
Definition of blazing
Verb
  • Fire officials deemed the fire accidental after determining that the family dog, Bo, jumped onto the kitchen counter and turned on the toaster, which ignited nearby combustibles.
    — Adam Thompson, CBS News, 14 July 2026
  • The works are scheduled to go on display in Europe, and the trove’s impending departure has ignited one of Mexico’s most heated cultural controversies in recent memory.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 July 2026
Definition of ignited
Adjective
  • The business has since expanded to three locations, where staff members serve Portuguese classics like cod fish croquettes, chourico assado—a flaming sausage dish—and octopus in garlic sauce for game days.
    — Manuel Bojorquez, CBS News, 27 June 2026
  • Alpha Camp − Nikki Hru, Maddy Jones, Leiya Pillitteri − had seemed giddy with confidence before the flaming arrow competition.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 17 June 2026
Definition of flaming
Verb
  • No rain yet, but across the water, the whispery glow from the setting sun lit the northern face of the storm.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 July 2026
  • The space is minimalist and warmly lit, lined with small bottles that feel like a library of moods.
    — Rafael Peña, Miami Herald, 16 July 2026
Definition of lit
Adjective
  • But there’s more flickering contrast in Narayan van Maele’s lensing, which alternates dun realism with occasionally hyperreal lighting and composition, particularly when the pagan promise of fire is in the frame.
    — Guy Lodge, Variety, 25 Mar. 2022
Definition of flickering
Verb
  • The Claremont Fire in the Boise Foothills had scorched 6,800 acres of terrain by Tuesday afternoon, torching sagebrush and shrubs, wildflowers and weeds, and narrowly avoiding homes.
    — Nicole Blanchard, Idaho Statesman, 15 July 2026
  • The heat wave that has scorched France in recent days, the third already this year, is starting to subside.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 July 2026
Definition of scorched

Browse Nearby Words

kindle
kindled
kindler
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Kindled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kindled. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on kindled

Nglish: Translation of kindled for Spanish Speakers

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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of obdurate

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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

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

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

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

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
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
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All