kindled; kindling
ˈkin(d)-liŋ 
ˈkin-dᵊl-iŋ
1
: to start (a fire) burning : light
using dry twigs to kindle a fire
3
: to cause to glow : illuminate
animation kindling his pale face—
A. J. Cronin
A. J. Cronin1
: to catch fire : begin to burn
waiting for the fire to kindle
2
a
: to flare up
… their mutual resentment again kindled …—Edward Gibbon
Edward Gibbon
b
: to become animated
no boy will fail to kindle to the struggles of his California youth—Ethna Sheehan
Ethna Sheehan3
: to become illuminated
light kindled in the liquor—Frances G. Patton
Frances G. Patton
kindled; kindling
: bear sense 3a
—used especially of a rabbit
: to bring forth young
—used especially of a rabbit
Synonyms
Examples of kindle in a Sentence
Verb (1)
worried that lightning will kindle the forest in the drought-stricken nature preserve
Recent Examples on the WebArlie Russell Hochschild, TIME, 12 Sep. 2024
The friendships kindled at summer camp can last a lifetime.
—Bruce Beehler, Baltimore Sun, 11 Aug. 2024
The thunderstorm created multiple lightning strikes in the area, kindling the three Mill fires and the Smith Fire at around 2:45 p.m., according to the U.S. Forest Service.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacramento Bee, 24 July 2024
It was kindled at a time of personal crisis for Davis, in the aftermath of his embrace of Nixon at the 1972 RNC.
—Alex Bhattacharji, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for kindle 
Verb
Sadly, the wood kindling this fire—burning slowly in the declining white working class since the 1970’s—is shame.
—Arlie Russell Hochschild, TIME, 12 Sep. 2024
The friendships kindled at summer camp can last a lifetime.
—Bruce Beehler, Baltimore Sun, 11 Aug. 2024
The thunderstorm created multiple lightning strikes in the area, kindling the three Mill fires and the Smith Fire at around 2:45 p.m., according to the U.S. Forest Service.
—Camila Pedrosa, Sacramento Bee, 24 July 2024
It was kindled at a time of personal crisis for Davis, in the aftermath of his embrace of Nixon at the 1972 RNC.
—Alex Bhattacharji, Rolling Stone, 4 Aug. 2024
See all Example Sentences for kindle
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'kindle.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near kindle
Cite this Entry
“Kindle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kindle. Accessed 1 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
kindle
intransitive verb
kin·dle
ˈkin-dᵊl
kindled; kindling
: to bring forth young
—used chiefly of a rabbit
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share