variants
or smoulders
1
as in snarls
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 blazes
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for smolders
Verb
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The record was created with Shellback and Max Martin in between shows on the career-spanning Eras Tour, which lit a fire in the singer-songwriter that blazes across each of its 12 tracks.—
Rolling Stone,
Rolling Stone,
3 Oct. 2025 -
Last year, dry fall weather in Southern California played a role in fueling major fires, like the Eaton and Palisades blazes, only weeks before the state’s typical period of atmospheric river storm events.—
Anna Skinner,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Oct. 2025
Verb
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At its heart sits Viti, a striking blue crater lake that steams invitingly in contrast to the stark black landscape.—
David Nikel,
Forbes.com,
16 Aug. 2025
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CookingPal’s gadget suggests meals, fetches recipes, chops, stirs, and steams ingredients, and then cleans up after itself.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
3 Jan. 2020
Verb
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Key Takeaways The number of calories a person burns during a mile run averages around 100, but there is considerable variation depending on several factors, especially weight.—
Nancy LeBrun,
Verywell Health,
8 Oct. 2025
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In fact, Anderson is laughing at both sides while the world burns.—
Graham Hillard,
The Washington Examiner,
3 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And nothing angers the Survivor gods more than reality TV hubris.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
2 Oct. 2025
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Kirk assassination angers and unsettles leaders, residents The assassination of Kirk, which happened in front of hundreds of people and was captured on video and widely circulated on social media, has in particular rattled the nation and drawn condemnation from across the political spectrum.—
Mark Vancleave,
Twin Cities,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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This is why Dijon’s language works best as sound, not narrative—his rangy, raspy voice seethes and triumphs, mocks and threatens; there’s no world in which his polygonal perspective can be discerned from a lyric sheet.—
Brady Brickner-Wood,
New Yorker,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
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After charging in direct sunlight, the glass ball glows for eight hours through the night for a touch of ambiance in your outdoor space.—
Julia Fields,
Better Homes & Gardens,
8 Oct. 2025
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At his best, Stevenson glows with charisma.—
Dan Wiederer,
New York Times,
7 Oct. 2025
Verb
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From candid moments to red carpet snaps, Terry and Rebecca walked down memory lane by sharing 15 photos, with the countdown starting in 2025.—
Ashlyn Robinette,
PEOPLE,
7 Oct. 2025
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Wide receiver The Dolphins allocated Tyreek Hill’s snaps primarily to Nick Westbrook-Ikhine (39) and Malik Washington (32) and also used more two tight end sets.—
Barry Jackson,
Miami Herald,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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As the plot bounces along and characters appear, step offstage, and reappear, things get strange, and reality flickers in and out to dazzling effect.—
Jasmine Vojdani,
Vulture,
7 Oct. 2025
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Over dinner, a broadcast flickers on the cabin’s dusty TV.—
JP Mangalindan,
Time,
28 Aug. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Smolders.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smolders. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.
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