variants
or smoulders
1
as in snarls
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 blazes
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 smolders
Throughout the compilation of clips, Kristy smiles and smolders in the mirror while using a bottle of the luxury brand's Libre Berry Crush perfume.
—
Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
Blood orange and saffron ignite the air, myrrh smolders beneath, and the woods hum with market heat.
—Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2025
Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 27 Jan. 2026
Blood orange and saffron ignite the air, myrrh smolders beneath, and the woods hum with market heat.
—Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 16 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smolders
Verb
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Low toward the west blazes Venus, which serves as a convenient celestial landmark to make a sighting of Mercury, which will be hovering not far from it.—
Joe Rao,
Space.com,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Jesse steps up on the mound and blazes the ball past him.—
Gail Sheehy,
Vanity Fair,
20 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Nothing steams football fans quite like NBC Sports broadcaster Cris Collinsworth praising Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
6 Feb. 2026
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Then, Lim steams the breastmilk in an espresso machine before adding the matcha into the drink.—
Hannah Sacks,
PEOPLE,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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If Sunday was any indication, the love affair between Avs fans and Kadri burns as hot as ever.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
9 Mar. 2026
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The white phosphorus then ignites and burns intensely, destroying the agents by incinerating them – a method meant to reduce the risk of spreading the materials and to limit potential harm to civilians and the surrounding environment.—
Bojan Stojkovski,
Interesting Engineering,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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LaCava said the change seems like another city policy that angers many residents without major impact.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
25 Feb. 2026
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What angers me is thinking about what could have been.—
Caroline Blair,
PEOPLE,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Trump seethes with hatred and erupts in volcanic fury to denounce, demonize, disparage and threaten anyone who refuses to support his increasingly irrational and harmful proposals and actions.—
Washington Post,
Washington Post,
2 Feb. 2026
-
The river tumbles and seethes through 278 miles of Grand Canyon National Park, taking its geologic time in carving a trench now deeper than a mile.—
Brandon Loomis,
AZCentral.com,
15 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
Soft light glows over a dining room that seats roughly 40.—
Stephanie Breijo,
Los Angeles Times,
2 Mar. 2026
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Green fluorescent protein, first isolated from a jellyfish, glows bright green when under a blue light.—
Marc Zimmer,
The Conversation,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The policeman snaps to respectful attention.—
David Frum,
The Atlantic,
3 Mar. 2026
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Earnhardt snaps a 55-race winless stretch that dated to 2012.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Tory’s expression flickers, then settles.—
Addie Citchens,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
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Curiosity flickers across his face when his submissive surprises him.—
Amy Nicholson,
Los Angeles Times,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smolders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smolders. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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