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caressed; caressing; caresses
caresser
noun
Example Sentences
Verb
She caressed the baby's cheek.
A warm breeze caressed her face.
Noun
She gave the baby's cheek a gentle caress.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jim Farber, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2023
Drawing on such techniques, Mr. Beck could weaponize his strings to hit like a stun gun or caress them to express what felt like a kiss.
—Jim Farber, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Jan. 2023
The Daintree River ferry embarks from the southern bank, where spidery coral fingers of the Great Barrier Reef almost caress the shore.
—Linda Marsa, Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2012
Most pawpaws stay green throughout their life cycle, which means growers must gently caress each one to gauge its softness and willingness to release from the branch—no small task when each fruit on a tree matures at different times.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2022
Candles atop broad tables bathe the room in soft light, and gold chairs practically caress their occupants.
—Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2022
Her pieces, like her glove bralettes, literally caress you.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 1 Mar. 2022
For me, the camera must tell the story for the characters; love them, caress them without the viewer perceiving other stylistic details.
—Emilio Mayorga, Variety, 15 Feb. 2022
Two fingers caress the unruly neck hair of the skinned goat whose elongated snout sports a bemused expression.
—William A. Wallace, WSJ, 28 Jan. 2022
Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, 13 Jan. 2023
But don't expect to feel the caress of the lunar wind, as its atmosphere is roughly equivalent to what's found near the International Space Station in orbit around the Earth.
—Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 6 Oct. 2017
But the Day-Glo hues all caress and smack and seduce the eye.
—Washington Post, 28 Dec. 2022
Generally softer-topped, lower, and less craggy than the European Alps, the Sunnmøre Alps are a miracle of the Ice Age, when the glaciers' rough caress crafted mountains and crags that loom over fjords running thousands of feet deep.
—Toby Skinner, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Dec. 2022
Sometimes there’s nothing more comforting than loved one’s caress.
—Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 22 Feb. 2016
When writing clandestine trysts, Lawrence detailed every motion, thrust, and caress with relish.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 3 Dec. 2022
Part of why this is so striking is that Drake has made a career out of caress.
—New York Times, 19 June 2022
About 30 minutes into her JetBlue flight from Los Angeles to Boston on Monday night, a mother taking care of her baby felt someone caress her upper thigh.
—Julian Mark, Washington Post, 2 June 2022
See More
Verb
Drawing on such techniques, Mr. Beck could weaponize his strings to hit like a stun gun or caress them to express what felt like a kiss.
—Jim Farber, New York Times, 11 Jan. 2023
Drawing on such techniques, Mr. Beck could weaponize his strings to hit like a stun gun or caress them to express what felt like a kiss.
—Jim Farber, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Jan. 2023
The Daintree River ferry embarks from the southern bank, where spidery coral fingers of the Great Barrier Reef almost caress the shore.
—Linda Marsa, Discover Magazine, 25 Mar. 2012
Most pawpaws stay green throughout their life cycle, which means growers must gently caress each one to gauge its softness and willingness to release from the branch—no small task when each fruit on a tree matures at different times.
—Yasmin Tayag, The Atlantic, 4 Oct. 2022
Candles atop broad tables bathe the room in soft light, and gold chairs practically caress their occupants.
—Tom Sietsema, Washington Post, 5 Aug. 2022
Her pieces, like her glove bralettes, literally caress you.
—Christian Allaire, Vogue, 1 Mar. 2022
For me, the camera must tell the story for the characters; love them, caress them without the viewer perceiving other stylistic details.
—Emilio Mayorga, Variety, 15 Feb. 2022
Two fingers caress the unruly neck hair of the skinned goat whose elongated snout sports a bemused expression.
—William A. Wallace, WSJ, 28 Jan. 2022
Noun
And remember — sláinte! May the Irish hills caress you.
—Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, 13 Jan. 2023
But don't expect to feel the caress of the lunar wind, as its atmosphere is roughly equivalent to what's found near the International Space Station in orbit around the Earth.
—Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 6 Oct. 2017
But the Day-Glo hues all caress and smack and seduce the eye.
—Washington Post, 28 Dec. 2022
Generally softer-topped, lower, and less craggy than the European Alps, the Sunnmøre Alps are a miracle of the Ice Age, when the glaciers' rough caress crafted mountains and crags that loom over fjords running thousands of feet deep.
—Toby Skinner, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Dec. 2022
Sometimes there’s nothing more comforting than loved one’s caress.
—Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 22 Feb. 2016
When writing clandestine trysts, Lawrence detailed every motion, thrust, and caress with relish.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 3 Dec. 2022
Part of why this is so striking is that Drake has made a career out of caress.
—New York Times, 19 June 2022
About 30 minutes into her JetBlue flight from Los Angeles to Boston on Monday night, a mother taking care of her baby felt someone caress her upper thigh.
—Julian Mark, Washington Post, 2 June 2022
See More
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'caress.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Word History
Etymology
Verb
French caresser, from Italian carezzare, from carezza — see caress entry 2
Noun
French caresse, from Italian carezza, from caro dear, from Latin carus — more at charity
Dictionary Entries Near caress
Cite this Entry
“Caress.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caress. Accessed 28 Jan. 2023.
More from Merriam-Webster on caress
Nglish: Translation of caress for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of caress for Arabic Speakers
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