KINDLING Synonyms: 56 Similar and Opposite Words

kindling 1 of 2

noun

Definition of kindling

as in fuel

Related Words

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kindling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of kindle

as in burning

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 kindling

Noun

That’s the flint but that’s not the kindling, however. — R. Eric Thomas, Chicago Tribune, 28 June 2026 Hundreds of fires have started across southern and coastal Georgia, with dozens of new fires every day, and officials say drought conditions provided the kindling. — Irene Wright, USA Today, 28 Apr. 2026

Verb

Which kindling splitter is best? — Bestreviews, Mercury News, 19 May 2026 The Lakers picked up steam down the stretch in the regular season, winning 16 of 18 heading into April and kindling hope of being a dark-horse candidate to give trouble to the Thunder or Spurs in the playoffs. — ABC News, 12 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for kindling

Recent Examples of Synonyms for kindling

Noun

Instead of dispatching a service van ($150 to $300 in fuel and labor) and navigating traffic, the technician accessed the multitenant dashboard.

— Robert Messer, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2026
According to these measurements, even the fattest of the birds would run out of fuel—body fat and a bit of muscle—after about twenty-five hundred miles.

— Rivka Galchen, New Yorker, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of fuel

Verb

In a small town, several dead people are brought back to life through a strange ritual involving burning duck manure.

— Katherine Brodsky, Variety, 18 Sep. 2026
Increasing greenhouse gas concentrations, largely from burning fossil fuels, have pushed global temperatures so high that sea levels are rising, and shrinking glaciers and thawing permafrost are leaving mountainsides less stable.

— Tarun Gopalakrishnan, The Conversation, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of burning

Noun

The results should show whether CycloRP can provide comparable cooling performance while serving as the engine’s primary propellant.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
Still, demonstrating the solar electric ion engine on SMART-1, which used inert xenon gas as a propellant, was the primary goal of the mission.

— Tariq Malik, Space.com, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of propellant

Verb

Bowers dominated the Raiders’ defense in training camp, had success against a top Texans unit in their joint practice and is obviously the key to igniting the offense.

— Matt Schneidman, New York Times, 7 Sep. 2026
The index then roared back to life, igniting a blistering nine-week winning streak.

— Morgan Chittum, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of igniting

Noun

And Majority Leader John Thune still could hold a roll-call vote on a data center power bill that Democrats blocked on Thursday.

— Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 18 Sep. 2026
Stone and Robert Icke, for example, have both built careers on transplanting old stories into slick contemporary containers, and, in varying degrees, those containers can come packed with power.

— Sara Holdren, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026

Definition of power

Verb

In recent court hearings, Abdulkarim’s reason for allegedly lighting the goods on fire has played a central role.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Meanwhile, a tripod model adds just the right amount of mood lighting to a living room.

— Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of lighting

Noun

Kanin says as much as 58% of energy consumed by industrial processes can be lost as waste heat.

— Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 2026
Speakers noted the Republican nominee's oil and gas investments as the energy sector amasses profits while the Iran war drives up fuel costs.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of energy

Verb

The Ross Fire in Palo Pinto County has been fully extinguished after burning for 23 days and scorching roughly 90,000 acres across North Texas.

— Amelia Mugavero, CBS News, 17 Sep. 2026
These hardy plants withstand extreme weather, from scorching heat to harsh winters.

— Abby Monteil, The Spruce, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of scorching

Browse Nearby Words

kindliness

kindling

kindlings

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Style

“Kindling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kindling. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of kindling

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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