SMOLDER Synonyms: 103 Similar and Opposite Words

smolder

verb

variants or smoulder

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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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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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 smolder Glossy, blonde waves perfectly frame her face, and her blue eyes, now darkened, smolder at the camera. —

Brooke Migdon, PEOPLE, 30 Mar. 2026 Here’s a list of the most memorable jumps from trash TV to the smoldering dumpster of 21st century politics. —

Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026 When just a few smoldering spots remained, the group gathered to debrief and share H-E-B sandwich trays. —

Julia James, Dallas Morning News, 26 Mar. 2026 Then, trace your finger to its peak, which, to me, was his starring role as smoldering special forces operative Scott McCoy in the 1986 action movie The Delta Force, co-starring a frail-looking but grizzled and unsmiling Lee Marvin in his last movie. —

John Devore, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for smolder

Recent Examples of Synonyms for smolder

Verb

Separate blockades from haulers and farmers angered by the rising diesel prices have also shut down large swathes of the country’s highways, causing five days of disruption.

— Dalia Abdelwahab, CNN Money, 11 Apr. 2026
The mayor's threat to raise property taxes unless Albany agrees to tax the rich angered City Council Speaker Julie Menin.

— Marcia Kramer, CBS News, 10 Apr. 2026