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

The combined visual effect is like being swaddled in a cashmere blanket. —Elise Taylor, Vogue, 28 May 2025

There, the couple swaddled their son in the Ivory White Leaves and Flowers Baby Shawl from G.H. Hurt & Son. —Janine Henni, People.com, 4 June 2025

Here, a buttery shortbread base and shortbread crumble swaddle a fruit filling studded with nuts. —Tanya Sichynsky, New York Times, 22 May 2025

Every community has its informal imports, lovingly swaddled in socks and ziplocks, and made to last until the next trip to the motherland. —Lauren Collins, New Yorker, 2 June 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