as in fuel
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as in burning
to set (something) on fire
worried that lightning will kindle the forest in the drought-stricken nature preserve
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of kindling
Jeff Goodell, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2025
Then Sam throws the rest of his kindling onto his fire in a last-ditch attempt just as, as Jeffrey says, the wind blows Teeny’s fire away from her rope and blows Sam’s fire upward toward his rope.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2024
In the dry seasons, the brush withered into kindling waiting to ignite.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2025
The red flag warnings that have blanketed most of Southern California, and helped turn parts of it into kindling, have left the desert alone so far for the most part.
—Jim Alexander, Orange County Register, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kindling
Noun
By that time, the mountains around L.A. were like a giant pile of kindling.
—Jeff Goodell, Rolling Stone, 13 Feb. 2025
Then Sam throws the rest of his kindling onto his fire in a last-ditch attempt just as, as Jeffrey says, the wind blows Teeny’s fire away from her rope and blows Sam’s fire upward toward his rope.
—Brian Moylan, Vulture, 18 Dec. 2024
In the dry seasons, the brush withered into kindling waiting to ignite.
—Elizabeth Kolbert, The New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2025
The red flag warnings that have blanketed most of Southern California, and helped turn parts of it into kindling, have left the desert alone so far for the most part.
—Jim Alexander, Orange County Register, 16 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kindling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for kindling
Noun
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The major driver for the decline in coal use is the economic competition with cheaper and cleaner fuels, such as natural gas and renewables, Ryna Cui, research director for the Center for Global Sustainability at the University of Maryland, told ABC News.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2025
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All of this stems from a toxic and mostly invisible danger, largely the product of burning things for fuel and letting the remnant drift into the air and then into us—which is what happens unless the government regulates that process.—
Zoë Schlanger,
The Atlantic,
9 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The company built a retail and residential complex around the county’s Coconut Grove Metrorail station, and Martin also is pitching an incinerator site in western Miami-Dade as an alternative to the Levine Cava plan to rebuild the trash-burning facility in Doral.—
Douglas Hanks,
Miami Herald,
4 Jan. 2025
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That same year, the Legislature appropriated $180 million that the Air Resources Board could use to fund alternatives to burning.—
Rebecca Plevin,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Jan. 2025
Verb
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With Mercury stationing direct in Pisces — igniting your expressive fifth house of love, creativity and passion — everything from your hobbies to your romantic longings is getting back on track.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
7 Apr. 2025
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The Table Rock Fire has burned more than 13,000 acres total in South Carolina and North Carolina since igniting on March 21, the South Carolina Forestry Commission said Tuesday.—
Meredith Deliso,
ABC News,
1 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Spectrum is powered by nine Aquila engines on its first stage, and one engine on the second stage, burning a mixture of propane and liquid oxygen propellants.—
Ars Technica,
Ars Technica,
23 Mar. 2025
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To get there faster and using as little propellant as possible, Hera has flown to Mars for a gravitational slingshot.—
Keith Cooper,
Space.com,
13 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Alexander Smirnov was sentenced to six years in prison in January after pleading guilty to lying to his FBI handler about the Biden family's ties to a Ukrainian energy company -- in addition to a series of unrelated tax fraud charges.—
Alexander Mallin,
ABC News,
11 Apr. 2025
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Charging rates are adjusted to reduce heat (energy loss) and prolong battery life (adaptive charging).—
Simon Hill,
Wired News,
10 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Stray animals are also at risk of suffering from heat exhaustion during scorching summers.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
Newsweek,
2 Jan. 2025
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Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently to avoid scorching the milk.—
Alana Al-Hatlani,
Southern Living,
28 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Everybody else has no choice, really, other than to bring a cruel, narcissistic far-right leader to power.—
Isaac Chotiner,
New Yorker,
10 Apr. 2025
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Intake leverages the power of Ivalua’s gen AI and low code/no code configuration to automate and orchestrate processes across any system.—
Sarah Jones,
Sourcing Journal,
10 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Kindling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/kindling. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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