variants
or smouldering
as in flickering
being on fire with no visible flames but often with much smoke
All that was left of the campfire were smoldering embers.
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variants
or smouldering
1
as in snarling
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 blazing
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 smoldering
Chris Willman, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
Pity those who followed her, having to pick their way through the smouldering embers of what theoretically had been glamorous entryway.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
His main job was smoldering as the leading lady pined for him.
—Esther Zuckerman, Time, 29 Aug. 2025
But crews continue to monitor smoldering vegetation within the perimeter, and large fuels remain active.
—Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2025
But where chimps might merely poke over the ashes, our lineage at some point took the next step in promoting and even domesticating the flames — perhaps picking a smoldering stick from the edges of one grassland, and lighting the grassland in the next valley over.
—Peter Brannen, Big Think, 28 Aug. 2025
Tumbling waterfalls, dense jungles, winding rivers, smoldering volcanoes, and secluded beaches make Costa Rica an idyllic destination for travelers looking to immerse themselves in nature.
—Devorah Lev-Tov, AFAR Media, 26 Aug. 2025
Firefighters survey the smoldering area of a forest fire that threatened a nearby apartment complex on July 30, 2025 in Mem Martins, Portugal.
—Sam Meredith,sophie Kiderlin, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2025
Video shot by a neighbor shows the plane’s smoldering wreckage, just feet from a kids’ basketball hoop.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2025
Verb
Which, thankfully for fans of all things smoldering, means imminently likely to fire up again.
—Chris Willman, Variety, 4 Sep. 2025
Pity those who followed her, having to pick their way through the smouldering embers of what theoretically had been glamorous entryway.
—Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 31 Aug. 2025
His main job was smoldering as the leading lady pined for him.
—Esther Zuckerman, Time, 29 Aug. 2025
But crews continue to monitor smoldering vegetation within the perimeter, and large fuels remain active.
—Sacbee.com, 28 Aug. 2025
But where chimps might merely poke over the ashes, our lineage at some point took the next step in promoting and even domesticating the flames — perhaps picking a smoldering stick from the edges of one grassland, and lighting the grassland in the next valley over.
—Peter Brannen, Big Think, 28 Aug. 2025
Tumbling waterfalls, dense jungles, winding rivers, smoldering volcanoes, and secluded beaches make Costa Rica an idyllic destination for travelers looking to immerse themselves in nature.
—Devorah Lev-Tov, AFAR Media, 26 Aug. 2025
Firefighters survey the smoldering area of a forest fire that threatened a nearby apartment complex on July 30, 2025 in Mem Martins, Portugal.
—Sam Meredith,sophie Kiderlin, CNBC, 19 Aug. 2025
Video shot by a neighbor shows the plane’s smoldering wreckage, just feet from a kids’ basketball hoop.
—Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 15 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smoldering
Adjective
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This year, the rumors swirl, a constant, low hum: Outer Heaven and Cuatro Gato, two more flickering lights, are expected to fade.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
2 July 2025
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But there’s more flickering contrast in Narayan van Maele’s lensing, which alternates dun realism with occasionally hyperreal lighting and composition, particularly when the pagan promise of fire is in the frame.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
25 Mar. 2022
Verb
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Joe shouts as the snarling lobos close in.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
5 Sep. 2025
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Indeed, the film includes audio of President Nixon snarling about Hersh in conversations with his national security adviser, Henry Kissinger.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Romain Dumas was the driver behind the blazing run.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
28 Aug. 2025
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Marigliano makes Coco a blazing force of nature who gets one of the movie’s most emotional scenes, late in the story, not to mention its hilarious closing line during the credits.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Please tell me the sequel could answer the most burning question of the ’00s: How could Austin not recognize Sam in that mask?—
Stephanie McNeal,
Glamour,
13 Aug. 2025
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Cooper, 30, asked Hargitay one more burning question about the actors' on-screen alter egos: will Olivia and Elliot ever end up together?—
Victoria Edel,
People.com,
26 June 2025
Verb
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At the other end, the Premier League is steaming beyond its peers; a super league in all but name.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
8 Sep. 2025
-
His observant approach to capturing the sights and sounds of New York’s Chinatown and Lower East Side — the streets packed with extras, the kitchens where Aishe works steaming and bustling — displays what can only be a documentarian’s attention to local detail and color.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Huse torched ham in his backyard for Cuban sandwiches and celebrated birthdays with epic cakes and flaming desserts.—
Gabrielle Calise,
Miami Herald,
3 Sep. 2025
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The games featured will be some of the most impactful of the series yet, including one set at a shrine at night with flaming arrows raining down.—
Monica Mercuri,
Forbes.com,
1 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
The bookshelf opens to reveal a glowing path.—
Charlie Fink,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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The reviews for this twist on classic Chicken Pot Pie are absolutely glowing.—
Phoebe Evans,
Southern Living,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Another shopper mentioned using one as a magnetic flashlight during car repairs, snapping to metal on the car’s chassis for hands-free illumination right where it’s needed.—
Miles Walls,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Sep. 2025
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Even animals in the Himalayas can be seen by the satellites that fly overhead, snapping color pictures.—
Ross Andersen,
The Atlantic,
7 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Smoldering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smoldering. Accessed 10 Sep. 2025.
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