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

Sánchez is facing mounting scrutiny amid a prolonged humanitarian crisis in Ceuta, where the flood of thousands of migrants has angered residents in the tiny community, which is ill-equipped to handle such an influx.

— Suman Naishadham, Los Angeles Times, 3 Sep. 2026
Prosecutors argued Monday that Kading’s disclosures angered Davis.

— Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of anger

Verb

Among the highlights are Blanford Nature Center, which offers extensive walking trails through an old-growth forest of blazing red sugar maples.

— Jessica Puckett, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Sep. 2026
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

Definition of blaze

Verb

All lanes of Interstate 80 near Sierra College Boulevard in the Loomis area reopened Wednesday morning after a fiery crash shut down westbound traffic and snarled the morning commute.

— Darrell Smith, Sacbee.com, 2 Sep. 2026
The ensuing traffic jam sent reverberations far and wide and snarled thousands of people.

— Doug Turnbull, AJC.com, 30 Aug. 2026

Definition of snarl

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

Some stakes eventually snapped under the weight of the changing components, further reducing the effectiveness of the collection mesh.

— Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 4 Sep. 2026
The measuring device is a small disc that snaps into the back of a person’s underwear.

— Taylor Nicioli, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2026

Definition of snap

Verb

Still, given the national attention given last winter to the air conditioning not working properly in an Angel Stadium weight room, Neto said the evaluation from the Rams’ locker room was glowing.

— Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times, 2 Sep. 2026
The best body scrubs are a cheat code to achieving healthy, glowing skin fast.

— Alanna Martine Kilkeary, Glamour, 2 Sep. 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 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of smolder

verb

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