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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Dissimilar Words
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
David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2026
Aaron Davis, Sacbee.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Here’s a list of the most memorable jumps from trash TV to the smoldering dumpster of 21st century politics.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
When just a few smoldering spots remained, the group gathered to debrief and share H-E-B sandwich trays.
—Julia James, Dallas Morning News, 26 Mar. 2026
Then, trace your finger to its peak, which, to me, was his starring role as smoldering special forces operative Scott McCoy in the 1986 action movie The Delta Force, co-starring a frail-looking but grizzled and unsmiling Lee Marvin in his last movie.
—John Devore, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2026
In a post on X, Afghan deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat announced the attack and death toll after social media footage showed the smoldering ruin of the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 17 Mar. 2026
Now, ex-government whistleblowers are adding fuel to Havana Syndrome’s smoldering embers.
—Joe Wilkins Published Mar 11, Futurism, 11 Mar. 2026
But Harvey had somehow secured a placard to get our car through the police roadblocks and checkpoints to the still-smoldering site.
—Maer Roshan, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
This passive-aggressive feud continues to feature smoldering embers.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
Casting two of the most smoldering contemporary actors on the planet clearly stacks the deck, and carries on the long tradition of pairing a dashing figure of brooding handsomeness (Laurence Olivier, Ralph Fiennes) with a breathless screen beauty (Merle Oberon, Juliette Binoche).
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
But there is some comparable firepower smoldering in the undercards, including Sunday homecomings for Dance Gavin Dance and the first Oleander gig in eight years.
—Aaron Davis, Sacbee.com, 30 Mar. 2026
Here’s a list of the most memorable jumps from trash TV to the smoldering dumpster of 21st century politics.
—Los Angeles Times, 26 Mar. 2026
When just a few smoldering spots remained, the group gathered to debrief and share H-E-B sandwich trays.
—Julia James, Dallas Morning News, 26 Mar. 2026
Then, trace your finger to its peak, which, to me, was his starring role as smoldering special forces operative Scott McCoy in the 1986 action movie The Delta Force, co-starring a frail-looking but grizzled and unsmiling Lee Marvin in his last movie.
—John Devore, Rolling Stone, 20 Mar. 2026
In a post on X, Afghan deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat announced the attack and death toll after social media footage showed the smoldering ruin of the Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital.
—Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 17 Mar. 2026
Now, ex-government whistleblowers are adding fuel to Havana Syndrome’s smoldering embers.
—Joe Wilkins Published Mar 11, Futurism, 11 Mar. 2026
But Harvey had somehow secured a placard to get our car through the police roadblocks and checkpoints to the still-smoldering site.
—Maer Roshan, HollywoodReporter, 10 Mar. 2026
This passive-aggressive feud continues to feature smoldering embers.
—Troy Renck, Denver Post, 7 Mar. 2026
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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Iran has maintained its ability to strike targets in the region and effectively shut down the Strait of Hormuz, snarling the global oil trade.—
Will Weissert,
Twin Cities,
25 Mar. 2026
-
At night, Yusuf goes back to his village, where his family is regularly brutalized by the local authorities, led by the snarling protomillenarian Captain Wingate (played by Robert Aramayo, whom some will recognize as the young actor who scored an upset win at the BAFTAs last month for I Swear).—
Bilge Ebiri,
Vulture,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Its blazing brightness, expansive color range, and incredibly lifelike image quality push OLED performance to another level.—
Will Greenwald,
PC Magazine,
2 Apr. 2026
-
Sink and Jupe’s chemistry is palpable, and their first kiss is slow and sweet, with Sink’s face blushing a blazing red.—
Ellise Shafer,
Variety,
1 Apr. 2026
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
-
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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That includes popular dishes such as golden-brown birria tacos and steaming molcajete.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
25 Mar. 2026
-
Is steaming better than boiling eggs for deviled eggs?—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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There’s an incredible sequence where Zazie Beetz’s character fights cultists with a flaming axe.—
Brian Davids,
HollywoodReporter,
25 Mar. 2026
-
There, Kurds gather to light flaming torches at sunset, carrying them up the mountainside to symbolize light defeating darkness.—
March 25,
NPR,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The glowing hose creates a visible path that helps rescuers navigate thick smoke and find their way back to safety.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
17 Mar. 2026
-
Beneath that display of hot gases, a glowing fringe of orange on the rim indicated that the edges of the fire were pushing out far to the east and west.—
New York Times,
New York Times,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Two batters later, Nathaniel Lowe had an RBI double to right-center, snapping the Reds’ 31-inning scoreless streak against Skenes.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Videos of Hershey’s chocolate bars bending like rubber instead of snapping clean have taken over TikTok in early 2026 — and the explanation involves more than just a weird batch of candy.—
Hanna Wickes,
Charlotte Observer,
1 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Smoldering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smoldering. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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