smoldered

verb

variants or smouldered
past tense of smolder
1
as in snarled
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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2
as in blazed
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 smoldered Prosecutors said the fire smoldered underground for a week before exploding into the deadly Palisades fire. — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 22 Oct. 2026 Smoke continued to rise from the twisted shards of metal, while the remains of the World Trade Center smoldered in a massive pile. — Sophia Leone, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026 As the wreckage of the World Trade Center’s Twin Towers smoldered, the United States commenced military operations in Afghanistan. — Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 8 Sep. 2026 Prosecutors say the blaze allegedly started by Rinderknecht smoldered underground for days before exploding into the wildfire that killed 12 people, destroyed thousands of structures across Los Angeles County, and burned more than 23,000 acres. — Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 26 June 2026 In 2024, a Lineage facility in Washington state caught fire and smoldered for two months, Northwest Public Broadcasting reported. — Holly Yan, CNN Money, 22 June 2026 More specifically, the ’90s chemistry queen Rene Russo, who has smoldered onscreen with everyone from Clint Eastwood and Mel Gibson to Pierce Brosnan and John Travolta. — Jesse Hassenger, Entertainment Weekly, 18 June 2026 Smith beamed a luminous smile as Brosnan smoldered for the camera on the red carpet in 1995. — John Russell, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026 Crews work to uncover and cool unused coal which has smoldered for 20 years near Florence, Colorado. — Logan Smith, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smoldered
  1. snarled
  2. blazed
  3. angered
  4. burned
  5. snapped
  6. glowed
  7. steamed
  8. flickered
Verb
  • The Broncos, at 4-11, flew back to Denver as a snowstorm snarled travel across the country.
    — Parker Gabriel, Denver Post, 25 Sep. 2026
  • The prolonged war in Ukraine has also snarled global wheat trade through the Black Sea, compounding economic effects and undermining food security in vulnerable countries.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of snarled
Verb
  • The journey, which combines blue, orange and white-blazed trails, will take at least three or four hours and offers a less congested alternative to a loop like the one in Black Bear Wilderness Area.
    — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2026
  • Netflix blazed a path in the streaming era that many of its media rivals have tried to follow.
    — Brian Steinberg, Variety, 27 Oct. 2026
Definition of blazed
Verb
  • The trail’s California Environmental Quality Act exemption has angered an array of people.
    — Pedro Moura, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Soon, other aggrieved groups—farmers, trade unionists, climate activists, yellow-vest protesters angered by rising costs—joined in, and the demonstrations that followed quickly became some of France’s most widespread and explosive since 1968.
    — Maurice Samuels, New Yorker, 29 Oct. 2026
Definition of angered
Verb
  • The committee heard substantial evidence that construction workers had smoked on site, and several cigarette butts and some partially burned materials, such as cardboard boxes, were found on the flat roof.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 30 Oct. 2026
  • While the changing seasons in northern states are marked by vibrant red, burnt orange and golden yellow leaves, Florida’s fall season is noted by temperatures that are actually bearable for spending time outside.
    — Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 30 Oct. 2026
Definition of burned
Verb
  • Telasco Segovia provided assists on both goals as the Herons snapped a two-match winless run.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Andrew’s head snapped forward, his eye blurred in a burst of flesh and bone, the hollow filling with blood as a bullet tore through his head.
    — Ron Farina, Hartford Courant, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of snapped
Verb
  • Down the hallway inside the black box theater, a light installation by Studio GUMGUM glowed like radioactive flora.
    — Laura Regensdorf, Vogue, 20 Oct. 2026
  • Their living structures glowed at night a hundred miles up and down the coast.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of glowed
Verb
  • Hyderabadi Chicken Dum Biryani — steamed under a pastry crust and flavored with seasonings blended in India by Adi’s mother.
    — Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 15 Oct. 2026
  • Zucchini With its high water content, zucchini can turn mushy and even fall apart when steamed.
    — Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of steamed
Verb
  • The neon kangaroo flickered, releasing a rhythmic, neon buzz.
    — Larry Padgett, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2026
  • In Monday’s match against home player Sun Xinran, Gauff stopped a rally after electronic advertising boards lining the court flickered during a point late in the first set.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of flickered

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Cite this Entry

“Smoldered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smoldered. Accessed 3 Nov. 2026.

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