1
as in birthplace
a place of origin
Philadelphia is known as "the cradle of liberty" because it was there that the Declaration of Independence was signed
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2
as in source
a point or place at which something is invented or provided
the 1848 meeting at Seneca Falls, New York, is often regarded as the cradle of the women's suffrage movement
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
2
as in to mother
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cradle
Isle McElroy, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
These fun pink clogs channel spring flowers while their contoured footbed cradles your arches, and the adjustable heel strap keeps them secure.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
Jolene Edgar, Allure, 15 Oct. 2025
These orthotic-rivaling insoles offer several benefits and are strategically designed to cradle your feet.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cradle
Noun
Gender, above all, determines how life is supposed to proceed, from cradle to grave; one of her longest digressions is an overview of the different ways that, to her mind, men and women are supposed to die.
—Isle McElroy, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
These fun pink clogs channel spring flowers while their contoured footbed cradles your arches, and the adjustable heel strap keeps them secure.
—Bestreviews, Chicago Tribune, 12 Mar. 2026
Verb
Preservé is generally for those who are having their first augmentation (not a revision), who want a modest size increase, and who have relatively symmetric breasts and enough breast tissue to cradle the implant.
—Jolene Edgar, Allure, 15 Oct. 2025
These orthotic-rivaling insoles offer several benefits and are strategically designed to cradle your feet.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cradle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cradle
Noun
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Lots of opportunities remain with newer technologies, including the onshore Digboi, Assam region, which was the birthplace of India’s oil sector, but has little activity today.—
Jordan Blum,
Fortune,
31 Mar. 2026
-
Cure, which opened in 2009, is both record-keeper and innovator, an admirable endeavor in a city that is the birthplace of the cocktail.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
30 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Polls suggest that most people want owners to pay for their own stadiums, but sports teams are desired and beloved, a source not only of entertainment but also of civic pride.—
Louisa Thomas,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Online personalities a source of division Though widely regarded at the conference as separate from Republicans, the conservative movement is predominantly united, Plano resident Bruce Dunn said.—
Rachel Royster,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Nuggets clamped it down from there, turning two Portland misses and a Johnson theft into an 8-0 run and a 98-80 lead.—
Sean Keeler,
Denver Post,
23 Mar. 2026
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Plus, a locking feature keeps the plates clamped shut for easier, safer storage in your bag.—
Daley Quinn,
Glamour,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Perhaps pasta or pizza with cheese is so comforting because we’re literally being mothered by flowering plants and bovines?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Mar. 2026
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One way to combat that, as a gardener, is to start plants by seed instead of buying plants that someone else has started, watered and mothered for months.—
Henry Homeyer,
The Providence Journal,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Her book also sheds new light on the origins of Steinem’s most passionate beliefs—from a childhood rat bite that opened her eyes to the dangers of poverty to her attendance at the 1970 Women’s Strike for Equality that honored the right to vote.—
Savannah Walsh,
Vanity Fair,
25 Mar. 2026
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Leadership teams and emerging executives should understand the origins of their industry.—
Sudhir Gupta,
Rolling Stone,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Without rain in the forecast for the next seven days, the extreme drought that has gripped the Interstate 35 corridor, including the Austin metro area, parts of the Texas Hill Country and much of the region's watersheds is likely to not only persist but also intensify.—
Roberto Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
21 Mar. 2026
-
My fingers were gripping her apron.—
Dawn Lerman,
Los Angeles Times,
20 Mar. 2026
Noun
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After the fan outcry, the team changed the deal to include free fountain soda refills for the entire 2026 season.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
31 Mar. 2026
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After the backlash, the team expanded that to free fountain soda refills for the entire 2026 season.—
Ryan Brennan,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
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At their initial meeting, Ejection clung to the conviction that Chalker was a Mossad operative trying to lure him to his death.—
David D. Kirkpatrick,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
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Many are still processing the loss while clinging on to Coleman's memory.—
Adi Guajardo,
CBS News,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cradle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cradle. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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