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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smolders
Verb
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The record was created with Shellback and Max Martin in between shows on the career-spanning Eras Tour, which lit a fire in the singer-songwriter that blazes across each of its 12 tracks.—
Rolling Stone,
Rolling Stone,
3 Oct. 2025 -
Last year, dry fall weather in Southern California played a role in fueling major fires, like the Eaton and Palisades blazes, only weeks before the state’s typical period of atmospheric river storm events.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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At its heart sits Viti, a striking blue crater lake that steams invitingly in contrast to the stark black landscape.—
David Nikel,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
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CookingPal’s gadget suggests meals, fetches recipes, chops, stirs, and steams ingredients, and then cleans up after itself.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
3 Jan. 2020
Verb
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In fact, Anderson is laughing at both sides while the world burns.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Oct. 2025
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Oil splatters can leave a residue that burns onto the stovetop.—
Daley Quinn,
Southern Living,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And nothing angers the Survivor gods more than reality TV hubris.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 Oct. 2025
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Kirk assassination angers and unsettles leaders, residents The assassination of Kirk, which happened in front of hundreds of people and was captured on video and widely circulated on social media, has in particular rattled the nation and drawn condemnation from across the political spectrum.—
Mark Vancleave,
Twin Cities,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This is why Dijon’s language works best as sound, not narrative—his rangy, raspy voice seethes and triumphs, mocks and threatens; there’s no world in which his polygonal perspective can be discerned from a lyric sheet.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Sitting at its closest point to Earth, Luna swells a little larger and glows a little louder, reminding us who the real main character is.—
Valerie Mesa,
PEOPLE,
2 Oct. 2025
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Despite its nocturnal state, the alien sphere still glows with auroras brighter than the Earth’s northern lights.—
Chris Young,
Interesting Engineering,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Knowles, an undrafted rookie, has appeared in the past two Chiefs games and has logged 21 special teams snaps.—
Blair Kerkhoff,
Kansas City Star,
28 Sep. 2025
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The Patriots primarily stuck with Diggs, Hollins and Kayshon Boutte at wide receiver, reducing slot receiver DeMario Douglas’ snaps.—
Doug Kyed,
Boston Herald,
28 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Over dinner, a broadcast flickers on the cabin’s dusty TV.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
28 Aug. 2025
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The glowing phenomenon appears as rays, spirals and flickers that most commonly manifest in hues of red and green.—
Eric Lagatta,
USA Today,
19 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Smolders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smolders. Accessed 7 Oct. 2025.
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