SMOLDER Synonyms: 103 Similar and Opposite Words

smolder

verb

variants or smoulder

Definition of smolder

as in to anger

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

as in to blaze

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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Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of smolder The fire in the High Fens, which stretches across the border with Germany, is smoldering atop a much-bloodied battlefield where Nazis fought Allied troops. — Sam McNeil, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026 By the afternoon, portions of the building were still burning and smoldering as firefighters worked to contain the fire and prevent it from spreading to nearby businesses and structures. — Thao Nguyen, USA Today, 19 Aug. 2026 Daemon struggles to his feet, dazed, and begins cleaving his way through the smouldering city. — Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026 Pine trees coat the forest floor with mounds of flammable dead leaves that are springy underfoot but which can smolder long after a blaze. — ABC News, 31 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for smolder

Recent Examples of Synonyms for smolder

Verb

That angered Michigan Democrats who were frustrated with El-Sayed, and brought Jeffries and other Democrats into the fray, putting the candidate El-Sayed had invested the most in on the defensive.

— David Weigel, semafor.com, 28 Aug. 2026
The president is defending the data center boom as GOP officials across the country turn against projects that have angered voters.

— Cat Zakrzewski, Washington Post, 27 Aug. 2026

Definition of anger

Verb

The fourth-year pro with blazing speed had an impressive training camp and appeared to be one of the team’s main kick returners.

— Josh Kendall, New York Times, 31 Aug. 2026
At liftoff, Falcon Heavy blazed off the pad at LC-39A, roaring with the thunder of 21 Merlin 1D engines on the business end of the SpaceX triple-booster launch vehicle.

— Josh Dinner, Space.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of blaze

Verb

State Assembly Member John Harabedian, who represents Altadena, where the Eaton Fire killed 19 people and burned about 9,400 homes and structures, authored one of the bills passed this week.

— Evan Bush, NBC news, 1 Sep. 2026
The Soviet Union was an archetypal fragile superpower, its red star burning bright before its dramatic final implosion.

— Ben Bland, semafor.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of burn

Verb

Each bite was unique — a pocket of cold sour cream here, the cheese only partially melted there, the last crisp cry of the ever-steaming French fries yonder.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026
The kitchen steams between 1,500 and 1,800 of three varieties every night at Adams Morgan’s 11-year-old Afghan hot spot.

— Warren Rojas, Washington Post, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of steam

Verb

Pappa snapped the images using a Canon 760D with a 300 mm lens to capture the lunar seas standing out on the remaining sunlit portion of the lunar surface.

— Anthony Wood, Space.com, 28 Aug. 2026
According to initial assessments, a massive chunk of ice snapped off a glacier and tumbled thousands of feet into the valley below.

— Ava Berger, NPR, 28 Aug. 2026

Definition of snap

Verb

For a bold and vibrant fall hair transformation, consider colors with warm tones that add depth and glow to your look.

— Alyssa Rotunno, InStyle, 27 Aug. 2026
On Broadway, these glow like amber beacons, alas offering a respite from the darkness that best serves what Holloway and Barrett are trying to do.

— Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 26 Aug. 2026

Definition of glow

Browse Nearby Words

smoky

smolder

smoldered

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“Smolder.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smolder. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of smolder

verb

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