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
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
Regional anger grows over strikes The war toll on civilian targets grew as Bahrain accused Iran of striking a desalination plant vital to drinking water supplies, and oil depots in Tehran smoldered following overnight Israeli strikes.
—Dallas Morning News, 8 Mar. 2026
The Griselda actress smoldered in a bright red strapless gown with a plunging sweetheart neckline, a corset-style bodice, and a form-fitting silhouette that subtly flared out into a mermaid design around her knees.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 12 Jan. 2026
Richards, who was married to actor Charlie Sheen at the time of her Playboy cover, smoldered for the camera while standing on a black spiral staircase in her nostalgic Halloween look.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
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
Regional anger grows over strikes The war toll on civilian targets grew as Bahrain accused Iran of striking a desalination plant vital to drinking water supplies, and oil depots in Tehran smoldered following overnight Israeli strikes.
—Dallas Morning News, 8 Mar. 2026
The Griselda actress smoldered in a bright red strapless gown with a plunging sweetheart neckline, a corset-style bodice, and a form-fitting silhouette that subtly flared out into a mermaid design around her knees.
—Lara Walsh, InStyle, 12 Jan. 2026
Richards, who was married to actor Charlie Sheen at the time of her Playboy cover, smoldered for the camera while standing on a black spiral staircase in her nostalgic Halloween look.
—Edward Segarra, USA Today, 3 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smoldered
Verb
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The ground stops comes amid ongoing issues at the nation's airports where travelers have been snarled by long lines amid a partial government shutdown.—
Michael Loria,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
-
Bad weather also snarled traffic and blocked roads in the region.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Ever since Hogan blazed the trail with his success against Gawker, ordinary Americans have increasingly turned to third-party funders, who typically front the costs of a lawsuit in exchange for a share of any recovery, for help taking on billion-dollar corporations with armies of lawyers.—
George Harris,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 Apr. 2026
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When the Bay Bridge art lights display blazed again after a three-year hiatus, one San Francisco residence held one of the best seats in the city to see the 50,000-LED installation.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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While Decurion may be operating within its rights as owner of the property, its secretive and mysterious business practices have increasingly angered film fans concerned about the future of moviegoing in the city.—
Mark Olsen,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Apr. 2026
-
Netanyahu angered Trump earlier in the war by attacking Iranian oil and gas facilities; but Netanyahu then pivoted to Iranian infrastructure and manufacturing capabilities.—
Daniel Kurtzer,
New York Daily News,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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During his testimony, Fonfara said these fraudulent over-redemptions have burned a $14 million dollar hole in distributors’ pockets.—
Angela Eichhorst,
Hartford Courant,
3 Apr. 2026
-
When firefighters first arrived, the blaze had burned about 50 acres.—
Julie Sharp,
CBS News,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The loss snapped a four-game winning streak for the Yankees (7-2) and denied them a three-game sweep of Miami (6-3).—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
6 Apr. 2026
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The two-run shot snapped a 5-all tie and sparked a four-run inning.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
6 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Steinfeld glowed in a gorgeous peachy-pink Prada gown covered in silver studs.—
Christina Perrier,
InStyle,
2 Apr. 2026
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Tournament logos glowed on the massive video boards mounted on either side of the building, a constant reminder that a new phase of the season has begun.—
Emily Adams,
Hartford Courant,
21 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Look for whole grains, fruits and vegetables, and words like steamed, baked, poached, roasted, broiled or grilled.—
Dr. Sarah Kinsella,
Boston Herald,
5 Apr. 2026
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Young leaves and shoots can be used in foods such as salads, or steamed, pickled, or sautéed.—
Heather Jones,
Verywell Health,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This world flickered into view between 1933 and 1943, a decade when the US government treated art as a public resource rather than a private luxury.—
John P. Murphy,
ARTnews.com,
5 Apr. 2026
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Delicate little needles in the windows that flickered up and then sifted back down.—
Caleb Crain,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smoldered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smoldered. Accessed 10 Apr. 2026.
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