KINDLING Synonyms: 56 Similar and Opposite Words

kindling 1 of 2

noun

Definition of kindling

as in fuel

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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

Firefighters used foam from specialized airport firefighting units to extinguish the fire, and crews were still dealing with a fuel leak on the plane hours later.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Sep. 2026
Higher fuel prices didn’t stop Americans from hitting the road this summer, but did end a multi-year streak of big spikes in travel.

— Chris Isidore, CNN Money, 7 Sep. 2026

Definition of fuel

Verb

As the planet heats up, driven by humans burning fossil fuels, the oceans are changing.

— Laura Paddison, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026
Twenty miles from the start of stage eight in Puçol, the biggest wildfire in 40 years in the city of Valencia was close to being extinguished but was still burning.

— Chris Marshall-Bell, New York Times, 3 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

But The Debut grows to become something altogether wilder, a fire-breathing encomium to the reality-altering power of acting.

— Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2026
Singapore is leveraging its scarce land, energy, and population to bolster its regulatory and agenda-setting power over data centers and sustainability.

— Brian Wong, Fortune, 6 Sep. 2026

Definition of power

Noun

The voyage produced a 24 percent reduction in fuel consumption, according to measurements released by the maritime energy company.

— Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 3 Sep. 2026
India's quarterly economic growth has exceeded expectations several times over the past year, defying a bleak global trade environment, high energy prices and geopolitical uncertainties.

— Priyanka Salve, CNBC, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of energy

Verb

Only one other spacecraft, NASA’s Messenger, has explored the puzzling, scorching planet that is just a little bigger than our moon.

— Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2026
Prolonged periods of drought are scorching French pastures, leeching them of their usual lush green vitality and leaving behind parched, lifeless yellow fields.

— Vivian Song, CNN Money, 6 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 10 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of kindling

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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