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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of smoldering
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2026
Noah Haggerty,
Los Angeles Times,
2 July 2026
The last was paired with lamb that had been roasted in a cast-iron pot with smoldering herbs and hay.
—
Adam Erace,
Travel + Leisure,
2 July 2026
Spain’s answer to smoldering summer heat is the traditional vegetable soup called gazpacho served delightfully chilled.
—
Catharine Kaufman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 July 2026
The rubble of the United States’ World Cup-qualifying collapse was still smoldering back in the fall of 2017 when the building blocks for the next decade-plus were put into place.
—
Thomas Floyd,
Washington Post,
30 June 2026
Six days later, powerful Santa Ana winds kicked up smoldering embers that sparked one of Los Angeles’ most devastating infernos.
—
Char Miller,
Time,
30 June 2026
The tiles and artwork on the walls were smashed and smoldering, chunks still peeling away from the thankfully stubborn aerolite.
—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
26 June 2026
Aerial footage taken shortly after the crash showed a large smoldering burn mark on the land.
—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Specifically, the lawsuit said that the draining of a local reservoir resulted in fire hydrants running dry and that a lack of land inspection after the Lachman Fires left embers smoldering.
—
Swasti Singhai,
USA Today,
12 June 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
Now they’ll be allowed to wear them during some work battling wildfires, including patrolling for areas where the blaze has jumped past fire lines and putting out smoldering remains after a fire is contained.
—
Noah Haggerty,
Los Angeles Times,
2 July 2026
The last was paired with lamb that had been roasted in a cast-iron pot with smoldering herbs and hay.
—
Adam Erace,
Travel + Leisure,
2 July 2026
Spain’s answer to smoldering summer heat is the traditional vegetable soup called gazpacho served delightfully chilled.
—
Catharine Kaufman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
1 July 2026
The rubble of the United States’ World Cup-qualifying collapse was still smoldering back in the fall of 2017 when the building blocks for the next decade-plus were put into place.
—
Thomas Floyd,
Washington Post,
30 June 2026
Six days later, powerful Santa Ana winds kicked up smoldering embers that sparked one of Los Angeles’ most devastating infernos.
—
Char Miller,
Time,
30 June 2026
The tiles and artwork on the walls were smashed and smoldering, chunks still peeling away from the thankfully stubborn aerolite.
—
Jeff Spry,
Space.com,
26 June 2026
Aerial footage taken shortly after the crash showed a large smoldering burn mark on the land.
—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
15 June 2026
Specifically, the lawsuit said that the draining of a local reservoir resulted in fire hydrants running dry and that a lack of land inspection after the Lachman Fires left embers smoldering.
—
Swasti Singhai,
USA Today,
12 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smoldering
Adjective
-
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.
Verb
-
The incident shut down the busy interstate for hours, snarling traffic during teh evening commute.
-
The purists were always going to take issue with a Prancing Horse that had an electric powertrain instead of snarling internal combustion engine, but its unorthodox design, courtesy of Jony Ivy’s LoveFrom studio, has received just as much criticism.
Verb
-
Glover got off to a blazing start through five holes, with each of his shots into the green 8 feet or closer.
-
Each of the players has the ability to hit for power, or offer blazing speed.
Adjective
-
In the case of the cross-burning incident, there is no comparison to the Jussie Smollett case.
-
Some people drove or walked by, staring, and a video of the cross-burning gained traction online.
Verb
-
Reduce heat to low and cook (milk should be steaming or just barely simmering around edges of pan) 10 minutes.
-
Marylanders settled back for a steaming celebration of America’s 194th birthday today.
Verb
-
The clip ultimately evolved into a lo-fi vision of the Rapture, complete with giant flaming hands terrorizing the band.
-
True insanity seldom results from a huge, flaming blowout when driving.
Adjective
-
The trailer opens with a montage of a glowing Lily (Lively) walking through Boston.
-
Its light is rather that of a glowing molten metal than that of a burning furnace.
Verb
-
Paris Barraza Eventgoers at America’s Block Party Benefit Show at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum are snapping photos with a President Abraham Lincoln on stilts, playing corn hole – known as bags to some – and carrying cans of beer.
-
During the show, Travis got on stage as one of the pop star's backup dancers before later snapping a selfie with William, George and Charlotte.
Cite this Entry
“Smoldering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smoldering. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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