variants
or smouldering
as in flickering
being on fire with no visible flames but often with much smoke
All that was left of the campfire were smoldering embers.
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variants
or smouldering
1
as in snarling
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 blazing
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
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Recent Examples of smoldering
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2026
Aref Tufaha, Arkansas Online, 24 Feb. 2026
Lucifer matches gave easier voice to grievances that had been smoldering in the breasts of rural people for decades.
—Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
At the end of the video, some Los Angeles Fire Department crews are seen showing up to extinguish the smoldering remains of the boxes that carried the fireworks.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
This leads to the stars ending their lives as smoldering stellar embers called white dwarfs.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Firefighters found the smoke was coming from a storage closet beneath a stairwell, where a plastic cleaning cart was found smoldering, Schaunaman said.
—Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2026
Besides their long, dark hair and smoldering gazes, what do Charli XCX and Salma Hayek have in common?
—Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 1 Feb. 2026
His smoldering stare has been illegally printed on T-shirts by dozens of small Chinese businesses through the global marketplace AliExpress.
—Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 30 Jan. 2026
Blackened trees and a smoldering log made clear that fires are a common way to keep warm.
—Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 30 Jan. 2026
Adjective
Casting two of the most smoldering contemporary actors on the planet clearly stacks the deck, and carries on the long tradition of pairing a dashing figure of brooding handsomeness (Laurence Olivier, Ralph Fiennes) with a breathless screen beauty (Merle Oberon, Juliette Binoche).
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
Worshippers arriving for the day's first prayers found the damage and a smoldering fire that spewed black smoke across the entrance of the Abu Bakr Al-Siddiq Mosque in the town of Tell, near Nablus, and stained the ornate doorway.
—Aref Tufaha, Arkansas Online, 24 Feb. 2026
Lucifer matches gave easier voice to grievances that had been smoldering in the breasts of rural people for decades.
—Literary Hub, 19 Feb. 2026
At the end of the video, some Los Angeles Fire Department crews are seen showing up to extinguish the smoldering remains of the boxes that carried the fireworks.
—Dean Fioresi, CBS News, 16 Feb. 2026
This leads to the stars ending their lives as smoldering stellar embers called white dwarfs.
—Robert Lea, Space.com, 4 Feb. 2026
Firefighters found the smoke was coming from a storage closet beneath a stairwell, where a plastic cleaning cart was found smoldering, Schaunaman said.
—Kansas City Star, 3 Feb. 2026
Besides their long, dark hair and smoldering gazes, what do Charli XCX and Salma Hayek have in common?
—Reece Andavolgyi, InStyle, 1 Feb. 2026
His smoldering stare has been illegally printed on T-shirts by dozens of small Chinese businesses through the global marketplace AliExpress.
—Paul Flahive, Austin American Statesman, 30 Jan. 2026
Blackened trees and a smoldering log made clear that fires are a common way to keep warm.
—Jordan Smith, IndyStar, 30 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smoldering
Adjective
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This year, the rumors swirl, a constant, low hum: Outer Heaven and Cuatro Gato, two more flickering lights, are expected to fade.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
-
But there’s more flickering contrast in Narayan van Maele’s lensing, which alternates dun realism with occasionally hyperreal lighting and composition, particularly when the pagan promise of fire is in the frame.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2022
Verb
-
Kyle firefighters were working to extinguish a grass fire that was snarling traffic Tuesday afternoon in Hays County.—
Alex Driggars,
Austin American Statesman,
24 Feb. 2026
-
The scale of this year’s snowfall temporarily closed Hokkaido’s main airport last week, stranding hundreds of passengers, while snarling other travel, delaying train services and forcing the closure of some highways.—
Reuters,
NBC news,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Lightning long ago escaped the bounds of Earth’s atmosphere—scientists have already discovered lightning blazing through the skies of Jupiter, Saturn and Neptune.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
27 Feb. 2026
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The blazing tornado can also produce 40% less soot and consume up to 95% of the fuel.—
Devika Rao,
TheWeek,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Please tell me the sequel could answer the most burning question of the ’00s: How could Austin not recognize Sam in that mask?—
Stephanie McNeal,
Glamour,
13 Aug. 2025
-
Cooper, 30, asked Hargitay one more burning question about the actors' on-screen alter egos: will Olivia and Elliot ever end up together?—
Victoria Edel,
People.com,
26 June 2025
Verb
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If the first four episodes of Bridgerton’s swoon-worthy fourth season were about desperate, hungry yearning, then the final four were more about, er, consummation—complete with secret trysts, steaming hot baths, false identities, and genuinely big shocks.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
26 Feb. 2026
-
After steaming each section and while the area is still warm, scrub with an old toothbrush to lift any grime.—
Rae Ford,
Martha Stewart,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Jalisco cartel lieutenants threw up flaming roadblocks in 20 of Mexico’s 32 states, according to the government.—
Mary Beth Sheridan,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
-
In March, the old town of Akre is the centre of Kurdish Newroz festivities, when hundreds of people carry flaming torches up the hillside in a boisterous, joyous celebration of the New Year.—
Nicola Chilton,
Condé Nast Traveler,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Instead, a thin ring of sunlight remains visible around the moon's silhouette, a glowing 'ring of fire'.—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
26 Feb. 2026
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Bernie’s dad had been flying to remote lakes in Ontario for several years and had come home with glowing reports of the trout fishing.—
Doris DeCleene,
Outdoor Life,
25 Feb. 2026
Verb
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This lightweight, rinse-out treatment focuses on reinforcing the hair’s internal structure, making strands stronger, smoother, and less prone to snapping over time.—
Christa Joanna Lee,
Allure,
26 Feb. 2026
-
Russell Westbrook scored 22 points for the Kings (13-47), who showed little life 48 hours after snapping a franchise-record 16-game losing streak.—
Jason Anderson,
Sacbee.com,
26 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smoldering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smoldering. Accessed 2 Mar. 2026.
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