variants
or smouldered
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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Recent Examples of smoldered
The devices smoldered but did not explode.
—
Daily News Staff, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2026
Oil depots in Tehran smoldered following overnight strikes by Israel.
—Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Oil depots in Tehran smoldered following overnight strikes by Israel.
—Elaine Kurtenbach, Chicago Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
Regional anger grows over strikes The war toll on civilian targets grew as Bahrain accused Iran of striking a desalination plant vital to drinking water supplies, and oil depots in Tehran smoldered following overnight Israeli strikes.
—Dallas Morning News, 8 Mar. 2026
The Griselda actress smoldered in a bright red strapless gown with a plunging sweetheart neckline, a corset-style bodice, and a form-fitting silhouette that subtly flared out into a mermaid design around her knees.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 12 Jan. 2026
Richards, who was married to actor Charlie Sheen at the time of her Playboy cover, smoldered for the camera while standing on a black spiral staircase in her nostalgic Halloween look.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
A week later the same fire, which had likely smoldered underground, reemerged and became known as the Palisades Fire.
—Tom Tapp, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2025
Authorities have arrested 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht, accusing him of purposefully igniting a New Year’s Day fire that smoldered for days and later exploded into the deadly Palisades Fire that devastated California.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025
Daily News Staff, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2026
Oil depots in Tehran smoldered following overnight strikes by Israel.
—Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Oil depots in Tehran smoldered following overnight strikes by Israel.
—Elaine Kurtenbach, Chicago Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
Regional anger grows over strikes The war toll on civilian targets grew as Bahrain accused Iran of striking a desalination plant vital to drinking water supplies, and oil depots in Tehran smoldered following overnight Israeli strikes.
—Dallas Morning News, 8 Mar. 2026
The Griselda actress smoldered in a bright red strapless gown with a plunging sweetheart neckline, a corset-style bodice, and a form-fitting silhouette that subtly flared out into a mermaid design around her knees.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 12 Jan. 2026
Richards, who was married to actor Charlie Sheen at the time of her Playboy cover, smoldered for the camera while standing on a black spiral staircase in her nostalgic Halloween look.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
A week later the same fire, which had likely smoldered underground, reemerged and became known as the Palisades Fire.
—Tom Tapp, Deadline, 15 Oct. 2025
Authorities have arrested 29-year-old Jonathan Rinderknecht, accusing him of purposefully igniting a New Year’s Day fire that smoldered for days and later exploded into the deadly Palisades Fire that devastated California.
—Sarah Rumpf-Whitten, FOXNews.com, 8 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smoldered
Verb
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Carlebach's plan to return to New Jersey to spend Passover with his family was snarled when his original flight from Tel Aviv got canceled.—
Christine Sloan,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Shipping lanes and timelines have been snarled for nearly two weeks after the United States and Israel carried out strikes on Iran, leading to delays around the Strait of Hormuz and surging oil prices.—
Rachel Lerman,
Washington Post,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Drawing from her experiences working as a crime reporter and then in the Virginia medical examiner’s office, Cornwell blazed a new trail in the traditionally male crime thriller genre.—
Max Gao,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Mar. 2026
-
Maybe hunters had blazed it out from a fly-in cabin on a lake.—
Elwyn "Bud" Myers,
Outdoor Life,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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But Magyar, a former Fidesz insider who has won over voters angered at a lack of growth, failing public services and a series of graft and child protection scandals, has built his brand with tours of town and village squares.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
17 Mar. 2026
-
One of Best’s nieces, Tatiana Barrett, told The Associated Press that revelations from the report have angered and saddened family and friends.—
Dave Collins,
Hartford Courant,
12 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Such engines typically use shockwaves to compress air (not turbines), and fuel is burned while the engine is moving at supersonic speeds.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
21 Mar. 2026
-
Parts of those neighborhoods were burned by the massive wildfire that destroyed much of Lahaina in 2023.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Kraken, who snapped a four-game skid with a 5-2 victory Saturday in Vancouver as McMann tallied twice in his first game since being acquired from Toronto, outshot Florida 13-10 in the first period while taking a 3-1 lead.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
16 Mar. 2026
-
Joined by Feig's wife, Laurie, and Byrne's partner, Bobby Cannavale, the star pulled out her phone and cheerfully snapped selfies of the foursome.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Sphere also glowed dramatically in the background.—
Melinda Sheckells,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Mar. 2026
-
Sludge subjected to a fire burning at 1,550 degrees Fahrenheit glowed bright orange.—
Alex Kuffner,
The Providence Journal,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Young leaves and shoots can be used in foods such as salads, or steamed, pickled, or sautéed.—
Heather Jones,
Verywell Health,
11 Mar. 2026
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The dish is topped with a final wonton layer and a bit of chicken broth or water, then steamed in a steamer for about 25 minutes.—
Joseph Erbentraut,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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On Friday in Sacramento, the magic that carried Valley Christian from a 9-15 regular season to the brink of a state title flickered one last time before finally running out.—
Jane Tyska,
Mercury News,
15 Mar. 2026
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Its tongue flickered, sensing the currents of pandemonium, and then the forked tip touched my cheek.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
15 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smoldered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smoldered. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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