variants
or smouldered
1
as in snarled
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 blazed
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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Recent Examples of smoldered
The Vampire Lestat Sam Reid and Jacob Anderson smoldered through the first two seasons of AMC's supernatural period drama Interview With the Vampire.
—
Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 5 June 2026
Smith beamed a luminous smile as Brosnan smoldered for the camera on the red carpet in 1995.
—John Russell, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
Crews work to uncover and cool unused coal which has smoldered for 20 years near Florence, Colorado.
—Logan Smith, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026
Her decision to stop the publication of a 60 Minutes piece about a Salvadoran prison that had been cleared by others at the network sparked an internal fire that smoldered for weeks until the story eventually aired.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 30 Mar. 2026
For about a week, the fire smoldered at low intensity, doing its work on a patch of roughly 120 acres.
—New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
The devices smoldered but did not explode.
—Daily News Staff, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2026
Oil depots in Tehran smoldered following overnight strikes by Israel.
—Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Oil depots in Tehran smoldered following overnight strikes by Israel.
—Elaine Kurtenbach, Chicago Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
Tiffany Kelly, Entertainment Weekly, 5 June 2026
Smith beamed a luminous smile as Brosnan smoldered for the camera on the red carpet in 1995.
—John Russell, PEOPLE, 16 May 2026
Crews work to uncover and cool unused coal which has smoldered for 20 years near Florence, Colorado.
—Logan Smith, CBS News, 11 Apr. 2026
Her decision to stop the publication of a 60 Minutes piece about a Salvadoran prison that had been cleared by others at the network sparked an internal fire that smoldered for weeks until the story eventually aired.
—Max Tani, semafor.com, 30 Mar. 2026
For about a week, the fire smoldered at low intensity, doing its work on a patch of roughly 120 acres.
—New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
The devices smoldered but did not explode.
—Daily News Staff, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2026
Oil depots in Tehran smoldered following overnight strikes by Israel.
—Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 9 Mar. 2026
Oil depots in Tehran smoldered following overnight strikes by Israel.
—Elaine Kurtenbach, Chicago Tribune, 8 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smoldered
Verb
-
Simultaneously, a second scene unfolded at North Avenue Beach, where another large crowd snarled traffic on the road.—
Desmon Yancy,
Chicago Tribune,
2 June 2026
-
The protest snarled public transit.—
Kevin Lozano,
Harpers Magazine,
2 June 2026
Verb
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Irwin, meanwhile, has blazed through the competition, scoring the highest in last week's semifinals with pro partner Witney Carson.—
Ryan Coleman,
Entertainment Weekly,
25 Nov. 2025
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Indeed, Rhone had blazed a path forward for so many women in the industry, and for the Black music which shaped the culture over the last 40 years.—
Shirley Halperin,
VIBE.com,
25 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
In 2022, a prominent former member of the national team was arrested for allegedly protesting against the country’s leadership, and star striker Sardar Azmoun wasn’t selected for the World Cup squad this year, reportedly because of a social media post that angered authorities.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 June 2026
-
That angered the Knicks, who decided not to go forward with plans to hold an outdoor watch party outside the arena.—
Tim Reynolds,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Currently, there are no specifics as to how much land has been burned or the size of the crew conducting the prescribed fire.—
CA WILDFIRE BOT,
Sacbee.com,
11 Dec. 2025
-
When burned, the wood produces a rich, aromatic smoke due to high lignin levels, which imparts a more intense flavor than oak or hickory, with earthy cumin undertones and a mild sweetness.—
Von Diaz,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
11 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The loss snapped a season-best string of six straight victories for Miami, whose scoring came in the form of a pair of RBI singles by Liam Hicks and Heriberto Hernandez.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
14 June 2026
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As Vater says, attempting to pull weeds from hard soil that’s been baking under our Southern sun will result in a plant that’s simply snapped off as the stem, leaving the root system intact and ready to sprout again.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
Everything sparkled and nature glowed a bit greener.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
4 Dec. 2025
-
The program staples — Steve Spurrier, Urban Meyer and Danny Wuerffel were all in the crowd — glowed about the Gators’ new direction.—
Noah White,
Miami Herald,
2 Dec. 2025
Verb
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It’s then dissolved into half-and-half and steamed, and milk is added (non-dairy milk options are also available) along with any additional flavors the customer might request.—
Kate Bradshaw,
Mercury News,
4 Dec. 2025
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When steamed with a sprinkle of salt, edamame makes for the perfect snack.—
Caroline C. Boyle,
USA Today,
3 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
SportsCenter flickered on several televisions.—
Evan Moore,
Charlotte Observer,
10 June 2026
-
In the Florida Keys, lights flickered and boats rocked a bit more than usual.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
8 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smoldered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smoldered. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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