variants
or smoulder
1
as in to anger
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 to blaze
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 smolder
The nose presents an assertive mix of bonfire smoke, iodine, and smoldering oak, alongside vanilla, toffee, and ripe tropical fruit.
—
Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Just like the rest of us, an NFL locker room has smoldering tensions that are ready to explode.
—Candace Buckner, New York Times, 25 May 2026
Usually that happens when the insulation of an underground electrical cable, corroded by road salt, starts to smolder, emitting toxic gases, and then a spark sets them off, sending the cover sky-high.
—Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 22 May 2026
Remus graced the cover of Time magazine with a smoldering gaze.
—Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for smolder
Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 26 May 2026
Just like the rest of us, an NFL locker room has smoldering tensions that are ready to explode.
—Candace Buckner, New York Times, 25 May 2026
Usually that happens when the insulation of an underground electrical cable, corroded by road salt, starts to smolder, emitting toxic gases, and then a spark sets them off, sending the cover sky-high.
—Christopher Bonanos, Curbed, 22 May 2026
Remus graced the cover of Time magazine with a smoldering gaze.
—Alex Morris, Rolling Stone, 19 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for smolder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smolder
Verb
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Star forward Sardar Azmoun was dropped in March, reportedly because of a social media post that angered Iranian authorities during the war.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 June 2026
-
Butler’s refusal to attend the hearing frustrated and angered several of Sheron’s supporters present for the hearing Wednesday.—
Teri Figueroa,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
3 June 2026
Verb
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Democrats are putting faith in him to blaze a trail in the state after struggling electorally in recent cycles, hoping his message of unity will resonate with their fellow Iowans.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 June 2026
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Democrats are putting faith in him to blaze a trail in the state after struggling electorally in recent cycles, hoping his message of unity will resonate with their fellow Iowans.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
7 June 2026
Verb
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Ukrainian drones now pummel industrial targets across Russia nightly, shutting down oil refineries, snarling logistics, and forcing airports to close for days at a time.—
Simon Shuster,
The Atlantic,
6 June 2026
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Laurie plays the snarling, villainous Richard Roper in the BBC and Prime Video’s big-budget adaptation of le Carré’s The Night Manager.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
4 June 2026
Verb
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With the myth of Medea as a burning thematic wire, and through the metaphor of bloody dog fights, the novel burns with the rage and despair of those who remain unseen.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
9 June 2026
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Deciding on a solution to the long-running turtle tizzy at I-95’s Exit 42, where 100-foot-tall light towers burn so brightly experts say the glow disrupts sea turtle nesting on beaches 12 miles away, has state and local government officials at loggerheads.—
Adam Van Brimmer,
AJC.com,
8 June 2026
Verb
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The menu reads like a love letter to the nearby ocean, with a raw bar serving oysters and littleneck clams by the half-dozen and steaming bowls of clam chowder.—
Zoey Goto,
Travel + Leisure,
2 June 2026
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Dale thought of the donuts and wondered if steaming them in their combination oven would consistently bake them all the way through.—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
2 June 2026
Verb
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In 1971, the Jewish residents of Forest Hills violently protested the development of a public-housing project in their neighborhood with rocks and flaming torches.—
Kevin Lozano,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
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On the other side of the card Eva had drawn it in a tracksuit and lime-green running shoes holding a flaming torch in the 2024 Paris Olympics.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
Verb
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Jordan Staal snapped a wrister past Hart thanks to a heads-up play by K’Andre Miller to keep the puck onside and find his teammate fast for the grade-A chance.—
Scott Thompson,
FOXNews.com,
3 June 2026
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Stocks are pulling back from record highs Wednesday afternoon, with the S & P 500 on pace to snap a nine-session winning streak.—
Jeff Marks,Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
At Palisades State Park, striking red-pink Sioux quartzite cliffs jut up to 50 feet above Split Rock Creek, their jagged faces almost glowing against a backdrop of bucolic farmland.—
Taryn Shorr-Mckee,
Midwest Living,
4 June 2026
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Although the building is gray and the galleries dark, the contents glow.—
Justin Davidson,
Curbed,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smolder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smolder. Accessed 9 Jun. 2026.
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