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
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 Web
Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2025
While Martin Scorsese called it one of the scariest movies of all time, The Uninvited kindles a wonderful romance between Rick and Stella.
—Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
There's a lot of kindling around, and there's a lot of like newspapers that can catch on fire.
—Keith Sharon, Nashville Tennessean, 21 Oct. 2025
Still, the hearing last year that reduced his sentence kindled some optimism.
—Amy Yurkanin, ProPublica, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kindle
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Verb
These seemingly innocuous actions can kindle dry grass, potentially triggering a wildfire.
—Ca Weather Bot, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2025
While Martin Scorsese called it one of the scariest movies of all time, The Uninvited kindles a wonderful romance between Rick and Stella.
—Steven Thrash, Entertainment Weekly, 25 Oct. 2025
There's a lot of kindling around, and there's a lot of like newspapers that can catch on fire.
—Keith Sharon, Nashville Tennessean, 21 Oct. 2025
Still, the hearing last year that reduced his sentence kindled some optimism.
—Amy Yurkanin, ProPublica, 9 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for kindle
Cite this Entry
“Kindle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/kindle. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
kindle
intransitive verb
kin·dle
ˈkin-dᵊl
kindled; kindling
: to bring forth young
—used chiefly of a rabbit
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