as in to nurse
to give milk to from the breast
the image of a mother suckling her babe is a standard artistic symbol of maternal love and nurturing
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 suckle
Joan jumped on her leg in an attempt to get some and started to suckle the cheese.
—
Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
After the birth, the infant was showing strong signs of suckling, and zoo staff thought that Kianga was providing excellent care, the release states.
—Grant Lancaster, arkansasonline.com, 7 Sep. 2024
But the government men botched their job: rather than dying, the twins were soon discovered by a she-wolf, who suckled them back to health.
—Michael Fontaine, Foreign Affairs, 15 Feb. 2016
The insects will have enough time to get used to their new home and then hopefully mate and burrow down to suckle at the roots of hazel trees.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 31 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for suckle
Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
After the birth, the infant was showing strong signs of suckling, and zoo staff thought that Kianga was providing excellent care, the release states.
—Grant Lancaster, arkansasonline.com, 7 Sep. 2024
But the government men botched their job: rather than dying, the twins were soon discovered by a she-wolf, who suckled them back to health.
—Michael Fontaine, Foreign Affairs, 15 Feb. 2016
The insects will have enough time to get used to their new home and then hopefully mate and burrow down to suckle at the roots of hazel trees.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 31 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for suckle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suckle
Verb
-
When plants fail to perform as expected, gardeners often reach for fertilizer or the watering hose, trying to nurse plants into production.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
5 July 2025
-
Rebekka Card was nursing her 4-month-old son, Hayden, when the unthinkable happened.—
Meredith Wilshere,
People.com,
5 July 2025
Verb
-
Medical professionals, including naturopaths, recommend breastfeeding a baby during their first six months of life for optimal nutrition, or using formula almost exclusively.—
Grace Toohey,
Los Angeles Times,
2 July 2025
-
The day after Hank’s admission, Kay and her husband, Ross, explained to George about the baby’s difficulty with breastfeeding, his inexplicable pain and his inability to tolerate formula.—
Jessica Lussenhop,
ProPublica,
30 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Suckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suckle. Accessed 12 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share