variants
or smoulder
1
as in to anger
to be excited or emotionally stirred up with anger
She smoldered when first learning of her son's misbehavior at school, but had calmed down by the time he arrived home.
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to blaze
to be on fire usually with smoke but few flames
They look forward to those long summer nights telling stories beside a smoldering campfire.
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of smolder
Under the glare of the desert floodlights, a title fight that has been quietly smoldering since Melbourne has now erupted into an open flame.
—
Kanzah Maktoum, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
This spaceflight feels like a training mission for the billionaire fantasy of escaping Earth’s smoldering husk.
—Amanda Hess, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
This leaves a smoldering stellar core, or white dwarf, surrounded by a spreading cloud of ex-stellar material.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 20 Feb. 2025
When the ovens are running, temperatures can reach a smoldering 115 degrees in the kitchen.
—Olivia Lee, Charlotte Observer, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smolder
Kanzah Maktoum, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2025
This spaceflight feels like a training mission for the billionaire fantasy of escaping Earth’s smoldering husk.
—Amanda Hess, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
This leaves a smoldering stellar core, or white dwarf, surrounded by a spreading cloud of ex-stellar material.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 20 Feb. 2025
When the ovens are running, temperatures can reach a smoldering 115 degrees in the kitchen.
—Olivia Lee, Charlotte Observer, 31 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for smolder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smolder
Verb
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Trump's actions angered Canadians and stoked a surge in nationalism, helping the Liberals to flip the narrative and win a fourth straight term in power.—
Mohammed Soliman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 Apr. 2025
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Along with safety, downtown residents say green space has been one of the top concerns of the almost 100,000 people who live there, so the attack on some of the area’s few trees particularly angered people.—
Kevinisha Walker,
Los Angeles Times,
26 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Hairston blazed a ridiculous 4.28-second 40-yard dash at the NFL combine and has legit outside-corner athleticism.—
Luca Evans,
Denver Post,
16 Apr. 2025
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The man said his condition has improved significantly since he was found inside a blazing home on Feb. 17.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
15 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The sight snarled traffic, and state troopers shut down both sides of the interstate for the safety of motorists.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2025
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The blackout snarled traffic, forced hundreds of businesses to close and left those unable to afford generators scrambling to buy ice and candles.—
Danica Coto,
Chicago Tribune,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The pair, who met as college undergrads, both burned with idealism and recognized their privilege could be leveraged for a game-changing idea.—
Carole Horst,
Variety,
13 Sep. 2023
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The Ellen MacArthur Foundation promotes circular fashion and says that, in the United States, an amount of clothing equal to a garbage truck is ferried to landfills or burned every second.—
Neeti Mehra,
Treehugger,
13 Sep. 2023
Verb
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The conventional exploits are paced with tasty visual surprises (a steaming roast chicken, a succulent pork chop).—
Armond White,
National Review,
16 Apr. 2025
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The eager anticipation was for a hot spot that’s steaming all day.—
Jonathan Thompson,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Much like The Game Kitchen’s Blasphemous (2019) and Blasphemous 2 (2023), the pixel art utilized here is highly detailed, rendering backgrounds with depth like the flaming ruins of the Hayabusa clan’s village or cityscapes surrounded by rivers of blood.—
Christopher Cruz,
Rolling Stone,
16 Apr. 2025
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Comments Danny McBride, do not step on that flaming bag on your doorstep.—
Ryan Coleman,
EW.com,
21 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Simone Biles, 28, was snapped touching up her makeup before her floor routine, using a five dollar NYX lip liner and Fenty Beauty setting powder.—
Brittany Talarico,
People.com,
21 Apr. 2025
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Ward thankfully said yes, as the crowd of photographers snapped and cheered away—but not so fast.—
Vogue,
Vogue,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
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With its lightweight texture, glowing finish, and ability to safeguard against sun damage and hyperpigmentation, this has all the makings of a universally appealing sunscreen—and has quickly become a staple in my skin-care rotation.—
Kiana Murden,
Vogue,
28 Apr. 2025
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The glowing pink nebula and snakelike dark clouds are the remnant of the birth site of the stars in the cluster.—
Alan Taylor,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smolder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smolder. Accessed 4 May. 2025.
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