swaddle

verb

swad·​dle ˈswä-dᵊl 

swaddled; swaddling

ˈswäd-liŋ,

ˈswä-dᵊl-iŋ 

transitive verb

1

a

: to wrap (an infant) with swaddling clothes

b

: envelop, swathe

legs swaddled in bandages

2

: restrain, restrict

marriage … swaddled him in a domesticity he came to loathe

—Nina Auerbach

Examples of swaddle in a Sentence

He swaddled the baby in a blanket.

Recent Examples on the Web

But when Ronnie set the theater's copy of The Music Man in motion on the projector, Matty appeared on screen holding what looked like a baby swaddled in a blanket. —Megan McCluskey, Time, 27 Oct. 2025

Police said that minutes later, Karschnick is seen swaddling the baby and taking her out of the crib, but the infant continues crying and screaming, and her arm looks limp, per the complaint cited by WBAY. —Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025

Saft bent over a sofa that was swaddled in a heavy blue blanket, vigorously slashing at packing tape. —Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, infants should never be placed in a car seat while swaddled. —Daniella Gray, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English swadelen, swathelen, probably alteration of swedelen, swethelen, from swethel swaddling band, from Old English; akin to Old English swathian to swathe

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for swaddle

• caudal
• caudle
• dawdle
• model
• twaddle
• waddle
• remodel

Kids Definition

swaddle

verb

swad·​dle ˈswäd-ᵊl 

swaddled; swaddling ˈswäd-liŋ 

-ᵊl-iŋ

: to wrap an infant with swaddling clothes