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
Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
The lint will light quickly and get your kindling off to a good start.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 3 Feb. 2026
Kansas City Star Weather Bot, Kansas City Star, 21 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for kindling
Noun
The invasive species have replaced native, more fire-resistant ecosystems in the region, turning shrub, brush and grass into kindling.
—Isabel Debre, Los Angeles Times, 11 Feb. 2026
The lint will light quickly and get your kindling off to a good start.
—Mary Marlowe Leverette, The Spruce, 3 Feb. 2026
Verb
Even minor parks or embers might be carried into leaves or grass, kindling a fire that can swiftly expand.
—Kansas City Star Weather Bot, Kansas City Star, 21 Mar. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for kindling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kindling
Noun
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Multiple spills — including the 1997 Torch/Platform Irene spill, the 2007 San Francisco Bay Cosco Busan bunker fuel spill, and the 2021 Huntington Beach pipeline leak — have reinforced California’s argument that expanded drilling and aging pipelines pose ongoing environmental risks.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
15 May 2026
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Beyond core transportation infrastructure, some states also rely on revenues from fuel taxes to fund education, environmental initiatives and other public programs.—
Wyatte Grantham-Philips,
Chicago Tribune,
14 May 2026
Verb
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Heard whole, the Barber-Menotti product is as gloriously over the top as anything that Bette Davis ever made with William Wyler—and Heartbeat’s reduction of it to its burning cinders is as just as effective as Glyndebourne’s grandly eloquent take.—
Russell Platt,
New Yorker,
20 May 2026
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In the northernmost part of Delaware, coal-burning steam locomotives still chug along historic rails, pulling travelers in antique passenger coaches.—
Travel + Leisure Editors,
Travel + Leisure,
19 May 2026
Noun
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The complex process requires two Starships equipped with docking adapters to meet in orbit to transfer hundreds of tons of super-cooled propellant.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
13 May 2026
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These materials include copper, aluminum oxide, and hydrogen fluoride, which is used as a propellant in some rocket engines.—
Leonard David,
Space.com,
13 May 2026
Verb
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The man is believed to have fired emergency flares to signal for help, potentially igniting dry vegetation and sparking the wildfire.—
Brandi D. Addison,
USA Today,
20 May 2026
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Andrew Alan Lewis Mathews, 43, is accused of pouring gas on the victim and intentionally igniting it, the Greensboro Police Department says.—
Mark Price
May 20,
Charlotte Observer,
20 May 2026
Noun
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Data center projects are likely to migrate to parts of Europe with lower power costs, creating winners and losers across the continent, the experts said.—
April Roach,Joseph Wilkins,
CNBC,
18 May 2026
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Jeffers flashed his power again, hitting the go-ahead homer Sunday and finishing 2-for-3 with a walk and two runs scored as the Twins avoided a series sweep.—
Dan Hayes,
New York Times,
18 May 2026
Verb
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The park will feature professional grade fields, lighting for extended play, learning centers and flexible gathering spaces, and will expand access to soccer for all ages for years to come.—
Miceal Chamberlain,
Boston Herald,
19 May 2026
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The 29-year-old Colombian winger/midfielder is one of the best goal scorers in the sport, currently lighting it up on the club level for Bayern Munich, after three years with Liverpool.—
Greg Rosenstein,
NBC news,
18 May 2026
Noun
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Insects such as migrating monarch butterflies and some other animals, such as hummingbirds, depend on energy-rich nectar for fuel.—
Beth Botts,
Chicago Tribune,
23 May 2026
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Adjust one workflow, boundary, or wellness choice that keeps draining energy.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
23 May 2026
Verb
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Visit in late spring or fall for pleasant weather; summer can get scorching, especially come midday.—
Stephanie Vermillion,
Travel + Leisure,
17 May 2026
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Video posted to social media shows the wildfire scorching trees and structures along Highway 61.—
Cole Premo,
CBS News,
16 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Kindling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kindling. Accessed 24 May. 2026.
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