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smolder

verb

variants or smoulder
Definition of smoldernext
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of smolder To find their bodies, that afternoon Comella and other firemen traversed the steep, smoldering steel mountain using a series of ladders, a process not unlike the way trekkers negotiate the treacherous Khumbu ice fall at the base of Mount Everest. — Peter Wilkinson, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026 Rounding out the crew was Smith as smoldering ingenue Kelly Garrett (Smith originally was cast as Sabrina, until Jackson decided the role was better for her). — Michael Callahan, HollywoodReporter, 11 Sep. 2026 Under the influence of smoldering Scorpio, Venus possesses a magnetic, secretive and complex aura, making everything from our relationships to our investments all the more consuming and intense. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 10 Sep. 2026 Smoke continued to rise from the twisted shards of metal, while the remains of the World Trade Center smoldered in a massive pile. — Sophia Leone, FOXNews.com, 10 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for smolder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smolder
  1. anger
  2. blaze
  3. snarl
  4. burn
  5. steam
  6. flame
  7. snap
  8. glow
Verb
  • But Trump’s solution, to import 300,000 metric tons of beef and sell it at a reduced cost, angered American ranchers.
    — Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 11 Sep. 2026
  • Rebecca regrets angering Matthijs (Matteo van der Grijn) after putting his daughter in the middle of a heated discussion around the possibility of Matthijs moving to London.
    — Dessi Gomez, Deadline, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of anger
Verb
  • This year, with The Odyssey and Project Hail Mary representing the majority of Oscar-contending performances already in the mix, space is wide open for new contenders to catch fire during festival season and blaze all the way to the Oscars in March.
    — Joe Reid, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Welles had tested the new tune out the night before during a blazing performance at the Station Inn as part of AmericanaFest.
    — Chris Willman, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of blaze
Verb
  • The film opens upon a typical grumpy New York day, with traffic snarling the streets and horns honking.
    — Victor Garber, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
  • The superload is expected to snarl traffic for the next four months as 50 loads will make the trip.
    — Jessica Riley, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of snarl
Verb
  • In Indonesia, farmers rely on rain to dissolve fertilizers into the soil to avoid burning the plants, explained Eddy Martono, chairman of the Indonesian Palm Oil Association.
    — EDNA TARIGAN, Arkansas Online, 23 Sep. 2026
  • The greatest health risks arise when tobacco is burned, which generates thousands of toxic substances, including carcinogens, carbon monoxide and fine particulate matter.
    — Hasmeena Kathuria, The Conversation, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of burn
Verb
  • In a crockery pot, my father steams cauliflower, stirring it round and round.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Airing garments out, steaming them or spot-treating stains can stretch the time between cycles.
    — Ryan Brennan, Charlotte Observer, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of steam
Verb
  • Meanwhile, a user named dedsheeran captioned a video of a flaming car accident with links to several organizations providing aid in Palestine, including Gaza Soup Kitchen, UNRWA, the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund, and Doctors Without Borders.
    — Wesley Stenzel, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Their Bell helicopters collided midair, sending flaming wreckage above the heads of horrified drivers on the Pasadena Freeway.
    — Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of flame
Verb
  • During the game, the Colts’ defensive communication issues were evident, especially with the Ravens breaking the huddle quickly to snap the ball.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 17 Sep. 2026
  • In one sequence, Sam stands in the middle of a rope bridge, catching a gold bar thrown at him from one side of a gorge, and then throwing it to the other side quickly enough that the weight of the gold doesn’t snap the precarious wooden planks.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of snap
Verb
  • My hair was thick, curly, and lush; my lips were full; my decades-long struggle with hormonal acne slowed to a stop; and my skin glowed.
    — Kara Nesvig, Parents, 17 Sep. 2026
  • Of course the playwright has prepared the way, but the wayward emotions emanating from these inwardly glowing performances are refreshing in work that has the crisp, circumscribed elegance of a mathematical proof.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of glow

Browse Nearby Words

smoky
smolder
smoldered
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Cite this Entry

“Smolder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smolder. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

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