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
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
Her decision to stop the publication of a 60 Minutes piece about a Salvadoran prison that had been cleared by others at the network sparked an internal fire that smoldered for weeks until the story eventually aired.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 30 Mar. 2026
For about a week, the fire smoldered at low intensity, doing its work on a patch of roughly 120 acres.
—New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
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
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
Her decision to stop the publication of a 60 Minutes piece about a Salvadoran prison that had been cleared by others at the network sparked an internal fire that smoldered for weeks until the story eventually aired.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 30 Mar. 2026
For about a week, the fire smoldered at low intensity, doing its work on a patch of roughly 120 acres.
—New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smoldered
Verb
-
Simultaneously, a second scene unfolded at North Avenue Beach, where another large crowd snarled traffic on the road.—
Desmon Yancy,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 2026
-
The protest snarled public transit.—
Kevin Lozano,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
This tour walks the trail blazed by Cathy Aguado, who discovered the monarchs’ overwintering site in 1975.—
Beth Luberecki,
USA Today,
6 June 2026
-
As Cuciuffo blazed over, Maradona had continued his run in behind Fenwick and been flattened with a blatant elbow.—
Michael Cox,
New York Times,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Azmoun was dropped from coach Amir Ghalenoei’s squad in March, reportedly because of a social media post that angered Iranian authorities during the ongoing war with the United States and Israel.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 June 2026
-
Atletico were angered by Barcelona’s long pursuit of Antoine Griezmann, which saw Griezmann decide to stay in summer 2018 but move to the Camp Nou twelve months later.—
Ali Rampling,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Verb
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The company typically sends the MMA waste off to a facility in Arizona, where it is burned to generate heat and energy, records show.—
Jason Henry,
Oc Register,
30 May 2026
-
Dallas Fire-Rescue also shared photos that showed crews hosing down the charred remains of the complex, where debris and burned wood littered the scene.—
Thao Nguyen,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
In lieu of a paw, the story turns on a novelty item called a One Wish Willow, which, when snapped in two, grants the snapper any one thing their heart desires.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
31 May 2026
-
Tragically, on the descent, four members of the crew lost their lives when a rope snapped.—
Lauren David,
Travel + Leisure,
29 May 2026
Verb
-
The lab glowed like a jewel in the distance, and around him bioluminescent plankton shone like stars.—
Susan Cosier,
Scientific American,
6 June 2026
-
May's full Blue Moon put on a dazzling display over the weekend, flooding the night sky with moonlight as the red supergiant star Antares glowed nearby.—
Anthony Wood,
Space.com,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
Bulgur is made from whole wheat kernels that have been steamed, dried and then crushed, giving it a tender texture and a subtle nutty flavor.—
Linda Gassenheimer,
Boston Herald,
27 May 2026
-
After proofing, they are broken into small servings, stuffed with pork and steamed.—
Amy Drew Thompson,
The Orlando Sentinel,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
As Miz went in for the kill on the top ropes, the lights flickered as Miz stumbled.—
Alfred Konuwa,
Forbes.com,
29 May 2026
-
Thanks to the film, that form has flickered in the minds of tourists from around the world for half a century.—
Marnie Hunter,
CNN Money,
14 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smoldered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smoldered. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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