as in to spoil
to treat with great or excessive care
the college president is a past master at dandling wealthy alumni
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Recent Examples of dandle
The tale is pilfered from the Aeneid, but Virgil would blench to see the curtain rise on Jupiter, dandling Ganymede, a beautiful boy, upon his knee.
—
Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
An hour later, Musk took X to New York and dandled him on his knee while being photographed for Time.
—Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2023
Vet emailed me a photo of Sly contentedly dandling a grandson in his lap.
—David Kamp, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
The day after the election, Taaz Robinson, a fellow third-year, posted a picture on Buckingham’s Facebook page of Donald Trump as an infant being dandled by Vladimir Putin.
—Tara Bahrampour, Washington Post, 12 Oct. 2017
Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
An hour later, Musk took X to New York and dandled him on his knee while being photographed for Time.
—Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2023
Vet emailed me a photo of Sly contentedly dandling a grandson in his lap.
—David Kamp, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
The day after the election, Taaz Robinson, a fellow third-year, posted a picture on Buckingham’s Facebook page of Donald Trump as an infant being dandled by Vladimir Putin.
—Tara Bahrampour, Washington Post, 12 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dandle
Verb
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The loss spoiled a debut that had been perhaps the most anticipated at USC in at least half a decade, since Evan Mobley graced the Galen Center court in 2021.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
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Unfortunately, as the street version of the virus (known simply as The Beauty) continues to spread, the bad PR threatens to spoil its official launch.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
21 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Rams nursed a slim three-point lead when both teams headed to their respective locker rooms at the end of the second quarter.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
11 Jan. 2026
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Long before he was spotted in the tunnel bent over to nurse his latest injury, Davis attempted to play through the injury.—
Mike Curtis,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Each new piece was crafted to be simple, functional, and beautiful, giving parents peace of mind and babies a nurturing space to grow.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Dec. 2025
-
Hummers are the smallest and lightest of birds, some weighing no more than a coin, some babies the size of a bean.—
Kate Siber,
Outside,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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With Giammetti minding the books, Valentino was free to indulge his creative impulses.—
Laurie Brookins,
HollywoodReporter,
19 Jan. 2026
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Evolution occasionally indulges us with organisms that seem too cool or too scary to be true, like something out of a science fiction film.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
17 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Because right now, with child care problems causing one in four parents, often mothers, to cut back working hours and one in six to leave entirely, Miami-Dade parents and businesses alike are feeling the pain.—
Max Klaver,
Miami Herald,
8 Jan. 2026
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The footage sees Sheriff Mickey Fox (played by Homeland’s Morena Baccarin) juggling her law enforcement duties with the challenges of mothering her daughter Skye (Degrassi: The Next Generation‘s Amanda Arcuri).—
Claire Franken,
TVLine,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Then, in Los Angeles earlier this month, his locks were changed and the actor is now in need of a new permanent home to hang his designer cowboy hat and coddle his pets.—
Steve Garbarino,
HollywoodReporter,
22 Jan. 2026
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As recently as last April, Narasimhan told analysts on a conference call that Most Favored Nation pricing would be devastating for America, where drug companies had been coddled.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
18 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Then enjoy pampering at the spa, with treatments like the Chinese Deep Fusion Massage, which uses acupressure and European deep tissue techniques.—
Jennifer Kester,
Forbes.com,
18 Jan. 2026
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Spa Weekend, directed by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore, follows three childhood best friends, Jane, Coco, and Sophie, as they get pampered during a luxury girls’ getaway.—
Etan Vlessing,
HollywoodReporter,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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In winter, lolling is best done in the warm and cosseting spa.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
30 Dec. 2025
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While most art cars since the fifth installment had been cosseted, this one was present at the starting line for the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans.—
Trinity Francis,
Forbes.com,
29 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dandle. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.
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