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.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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.
Related Words
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.
Related Words
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 smoldering
Jennifer Brooks, Mercury News, 9 Jan. 2026
In October, federal investigators announced the Palisades fire appeared to explode from a small brush fire still smoldering from a week prior.
—Melissa Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 7 Jan. 2026
Governed by shadowy Pluto, this Water sign is quite polarizing, given its intensity and smoldering passion.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 25 Dec. 2025
The scene remains active with smoldering and flames contained to certain areas within the lumber, Hopkins said.
—Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 17 Dec. 2025
In this refillable palette, four shades—including shimmering grey and metallic black—can be used together or separately to create a smoldering, perfect-for-nighttime look.
—Jenny Berg, Vogue, 12 Dec. 2025
Finally, Burning Rose is a smoldering floral blend that grounds rose petals and violet in birch and ebony wood.
—Jenny Berg, Allure, 5 Dec. 2025
Ángel Jiménez del Aguila, who died in 2010, need only follow the trail of flower petals, the scent of smoldering copal and the rhythm of danzón music to find his old front door, where his wife and children wait for him.
—Rocío Muñoz-Ledo, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2025
Egypt’s economic woes Egypt is weathering soaring inflation, as well as instability from the still-smoldering war in neighboring Gaza.
—Sam McNeil, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2025
Verb
But the killing of George Floyd didn’t end in the smoldering rubble of the Third Precinct.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for smoldering
Adjective
-
This year, the rumors swirl, a constant, low hum: Outer Heaven and Cuatro Gato, two more flickering lights, are expected to fade.—
-
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.—
Verb
-
Television cameras caught Adebayo snarling dismissively.—
-
Entire families, with kids and dogs, took their holiday portraits — not with a jocular Santa, but with a snarling Krampus, standing in front of an Alpine forest backdrop.—
Verb
-
The publicity staff is pulling out all the stops to arouse interest in the show, including a Hollywood premiere in New York complete with lights, blazing Bat symbols, plush red carpets, champagne and popcorn.—
-
Lenovo came out all guns blazing at CES 2026, using its biggest global stage yet to signal major leaps across devices, AI, and partnerships.—
Adjective
-
Please tell me the sequel could answer the most burning question of the ’00s: How could Austin not recognize Sam in that mask?—
-
Cooper, 30, asked Hargitay one more burning question about the actors' on-screen alter egos: will Olivia and Elliot ever end up together?—
Verb
-
Our Test Kitchen used a thin, 12-inch cast-iron skillet and the high heat transferred well in this pan and allowed for some charring, but also steaming due to the high volume.—
-
Place the bowl inside the microwave and heat on high for around three to four minutes, or until the solution is visibly steaming.—
Verb
-
Allison’s husband, Rich Statter, quickly stepped in and grabbed his wife's flaming hair, putting out the fire with his hands.—
-
The luxury Swiss Alps nightclub where at least 40 people were killed and nearly 120 others were injured in a New Year’s Eve inferno, had previously released a promotional video advertising flaming champagne bottles, which authorities deemed the cause of the tragedy.—
Adjective
-
Each one is a glowing testament to her.—
-
Part of last season’s successful Strasbourg team was Chelsea’s Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos, who gave a glowing assessment of Rosenior when speaking at a press conference in November.—
Verb
-
Rushing this step increases the resistance and risk of snapping the bolt.—
-
Even now, nearly six and a half years later, the footage of Sadio Mane’s patience snapping with Mohamed Salah in the very public setting of a Premier League stadium seems deliciously off-script.—
Cite this Entry
“Smoldering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/smoldering. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
