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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kindling
Graham Averill, Outside, 11 Oct. 2025
The rain fueled the growth of grasses and shrubs, before drought turned it into kindling.
—Simmone Shah, Time, 8 Oct. 2025
Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
Even minor parks or embers might be carried into leaves or grass, kindling a fire that can swiftly expand.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kindling
Noun
Just build a traditional fire with kindling and some paper at the bottom, point the business end of the Looft at the base of your fire, and press the button.
—Graham Averill, Outside, 11 Oct. 2025
The rain fueled the growth of grasses and shrubs, before drought turned it into kindling.
—Simmone Shah, Time, 8 Oct. 2025
Verb
The drought and near-record temperatures dried out the lush scrub, turning it to kindling.
—Vann R. Newkirk Ii, The Atlantic, 10 Nov. 2025
Even minor parks or embers might be carried into leaves or grass, kindling a fire that can swiftly expand.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kindling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kindling
Noun
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Extreme heat fuels out of control bushfires Bushfires, fueled by the soaring temperatures, have menaced towns in the state of Victoria, prompting evacuations as volunteer firefighters attempted to douse flames around homes.—
Helen Regan,
CNN Money,
30 Jan. 2026
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The simple-looking 'speedometer' is actually a touchscreen that can show GPS and a variety of displays for speed, RPM, fuel, music, and more.—
William Roberson,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
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No icons nestled between burning candles.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
28 Jan. 2026
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Inside the redesign Fabian Wiesemüller, PhD, co-founder and CEO of FireDrone AG, said firefighters must physically enter burning buildings to spot hazardous materials or missing persons.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The shuttle’s auxiliary boosters use a solid propellant; its main booster burns liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Jan. 2026
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For example, wet dress rehearsals with the Artemis 1 mission revealed leaks of liquid hydrogen propellant, which contributed to lengthy delays.—
Mike Wall,
Space.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The beginning of the year revitalizes you from the inside out, as Venus and Mars move through your sign, igniting a personal renaissance where your confidence, magnetism and sense of agency surge.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
30 Jan. 2026
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The Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center filed a lawsuit against Southern California Edison Tuesday, claiming the electric company was to blame for igniting last year’s Eaton fire, which destroyed the congregation’s historic sanctuary, preschool and other buildings.—
Melody Petersen,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The experience also reinforced Madsen’s belief in the power of social media.—
Jordan Greene,
PEOPLE,
8 Jan. 2026
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Mophie's power bank has the functionality of a wireless MagSafe connection, with the convenience of a stand.—
Michael Cappetta,
Travel + Leisure,
8 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Resilience is not rooted in things like taking a bubble bath or lighting a candle.—
CNN Money,
CNN Money,
27 Jan. 2026
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The play features fun, contemporary costumes by Charlie Amon, playful handmade scenery by Jesus Hurtado, tension-building sound design by Michael Moretta, lighting by Stephanie Ma’alona and videos by Mariana Morin.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Russia struck Ukrainian energy assets in several regions of Ukraine on Thursday but there were no strikes on those facilities overnight, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Friday.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
31 Jan. 2026
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Beijing has spent decades growing its trade ties and bankrolling projects in the region, to boost transportation links and cut energy costs – cementing its own influence along the way.—
Simone McCarthy,
CNN Money,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
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When Liverpool and Arsenal last met, in late August, a scorching late Dominik Szoboszlai free kick saw the reigning champions strike an ominous early blow in the title race, jumping three points ahead of their London rivals.—
Jack Bantock,
New York Times,
7 Jan. 2026
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As scorching sunshine gives way to dusk, enthusiastic attendees transition from waiting in clusters to jumping in anticipation of the pop-rock superstar’s appearance.—
Natalie Oganesyan,
Deadline,
27 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kindling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kindling. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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