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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of smolder
Scorpio: Mal, Descendants Cunning and strategic, Mal’s smoldering essence and power are strongly influenced by her mother, Maleficent.
—
Valerie Mesa, People.com, 13 June 2025
Taron Egerton and Jurnee Smollett star in Smoke, with their smoldering relationship taking centre stage.
—Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
Where my body flared like a window, then smoldered like stone, ivy
flickers.
—Esther Lin, The New York Review of Books, 26 June 2025
Investigators were still working to determine the cause and firefighters were monitoring the situation for flare-ups from hot spots that continued to smolder around midday Tuesday, according to fire department spokesperson Craig Trojacek.
—Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for smolder
Valerie Mesa, People.com, 13 June 2025
Taron Egerton and Jurnee Smollett star in Smoke, with their smoldering relationship taking centre stage.
—Griff Griffin, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 June 2025
Where my body flared like a window, then smoldered like stone, ivy
flickers.
—Esther Lin, The New York Review of Books, 26 June 2025
Investigators were still working to determine the cause and firefighters were monitoring the situation for flare-ups from hot spots that continued to smolder around midday Tuesday, according to fire department spokesperson Craig Trojacek.
—Cody Copeland, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for smolder
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smolder
Verb
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The group invited those angered by rollbacks on things such as voting rights, essential services and free speech to join them July 17, the fifth anniversary of Lewis’ death.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
17 July 2025
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The story, though, didn't die down and Trump only appeared to grow more angered by the pushback from his supporters.—
Alexandra Hutzler,
ABC News,
16 July 2025
Verb
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The Perfect Warm-Up: Ezra Collective Brings the Fire Brit Award and Mercury Prize winning British band Ezra Collective set the stage for Stevie Wonder with an energy-filled, all guns blazing performance full of magical keys, sublime saxophone and dazzling drumming.—
Lee Sharrock,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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Minutes later, all firefighters had been ordered out of the blazing building as well, the department said.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
13 July 2025
Verb
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That took on new relevance during the pandemic, which snarled global supply chains, contributing to shortages of products such as face masks and respirators in the US and elsewhere.—
Olesya Dmitracova,
CNN Money,
9 July 2025
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All lanes of Interstate 70 have reopened hours after a fiery, fatal crash involving multiple vehicles snarled traffic in the mountains.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
3 July 2025
Verb
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The pair, who met as college undergrads, both burned with idealism and recognized their privilege could be leveraged for a game-changing idea.—
Carole Horst,
Variety,
13 Sep. 2023
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The Ellen MacArthur Foundation promotes circular fashion and says that, in the United States, an amount of clothing equal to a garbage truck is ferried to landfills or burned every second.—
Neeti Mehra,
Treehugger,
13 Sep. 2023
Verb
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After the rice has steamed, fluff it gently with a fork to separate the grains.—
Robin Miller,
AZCentral.com,
17 July 2025
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There are several ways to prepare peas, including boiling, roasting, sautéing, microwaving, air frying, or steaming.—
Julie Marks,
Verywell Health,
10 July 2025
Verb
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Chicago Cubs almost certainly remember Anthony Rizzo's flaming hot streak in the leadoff spot in the order.—
Andrew Wright,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 July 2025
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Take the flaming Baller Colada (served in a pineapple) from a menu that unfolds like an amusement park map.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
11 July 2025
Verb
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The following day, Trump snapped at a reporter who asked him and Attorney General Pam Bondi for more information on the report.—
Meredith Kile,
People.com,
14 July 2025
-
Prince mingled with Lee Iacocca and James Carville as Annie Leibovitz snapped photos.—
Michael Grynbaum,
HollywoodReporter,
14 July 2025
Verb
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Its historic center, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, glows with buildings carved from Villamayor sandstone that shimmer like honey under the basking Castilian rays.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
21 July 2025
-
Trump continues to threaten news outlets that report on him in anything less than glowing terms.—
Bill Goodykoontz,
AZCentral.com,
18 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smolder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smolder. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.
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