as in fuel
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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
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Recent Examples of kindling
Julia Frankel, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026
Yet skepticism about the lofty valuations and massive spending plans of major AI players had been building like a pile of dry kindling.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 29 Dec. 2025
Southern California Weather Report, Oc Register, 20 Dec. 2025
In some instances, the amygdala is doing the opposite of kindling fear—instead, trying to quell fear, and in doing so, inhibits breathing.
—Julia Daye, Popular Science, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kindling
Noun
The United Nations says unexploded shells and missiles are everywhere in Gaza, posing a threat to people searching through rubble to find their relatives, belongings, and kindling.
—Julia Frankel, Fortune, 23 Jan. 2026
Yet skepticism about the lofty valuations and massive spending plans of major AI players had been building like a pile of dry kindling.
—Bloomberg, Mercury News, 29 Dec. 2025
Verb
Refrain from kindling fires with debris or any other materials during an air quality alert.
—Southern California Weather Report, Oc Register, 20 Dec. 2025
In some instances, the amygdala is doing the opposite of kindling fear—instead, trying to quell fear, and in doing so, inhibits breathing.
—Julia Daye, Popular Science, 3 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kindling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kindling
Noun
-
More than one in three West Virginia households is considered energy burdened, spending more than 6% of their income on electricity and other fuel costs.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Every potential buyer has to be told that a neighboring gas station leaked fuel 40 years ago, which spread to contaminate the groundwater beneath the home.—
Ashley Miznazi,
Miami Herald,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The group then sprang into action, rushing to pull them from the burning vehicle and extinguish the flames.—
Michele Gile,
CBS News,
7 Apr. 2026
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Dinner is focused around a large wood burning oven, putting out deliciously charred meats and veggies, and there’s a vibrant after-work drinks scene that always has this place pumping.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The complex process, requiring two Starships equipped with docking adapters to meet up in orbit to transfer hundreds of tons of super-cooled propellant, is necessary for Starship to reach distant destinations like Mars.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2026
-
The carrier aircraft supplies initial altitude and velocity, freeing the missile to use nearly all its propellant for forward flight rather than climbing from a ground launcher.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Older homes made of wood, which are more prone to igniting, are dotted throughout.—
Lauren Sommer,
NPR,
10 Apr. 2026
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Right now, utilities can be on the hook for billions of dollars in damages from a wildfire if their equipment is involved in igniting it.—
Bloomberg,
Mercury News,
10 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
The power of an orator who can, in this way, fuse feeling and doctrine is immense.—
Adam Gopnik,
New Yorker,
13 Apr. 2026
-
The American president's agenda has striking parallels with the way the Hungarian leader used the levers of government to tilt the media, judiciary and electoral system to keep his party in power for 16 years.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
13 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
People were playing music, like lighting small bonfires and stuff, trying to light the area.—
Steve Maugeri,
CBS News,
5 Apr. 2026
-
In recent weeks, your social life has been lighting off the fireworks, Taurus!—
Kyle Thomas,
PEOPLE,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday Ukraine is ready to mirror any ceasefire steps, having earlier proposed to Russia a pause in attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure over the Orthodox Easter holiday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2026
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Inflation ran hot in March as a result of higher energy costs tied to the Iran war, which has constrained the flow of crude oil through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global oil supply.—
Brian Dakss,
CBS News,
11 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Higher heat encourages better skin texture, but balance is key to keep the potato from scorching before the interior softens through.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
4 Apr. 2026
-
Devastating, scorching March The Sierra snowpack saw some promising accumulations earlier in the winter, especially between late December and early January, and during a very cold storm in mid-February that produced a lot of snow.—
Chaewon Chung,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kindling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kindling. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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