CODDLE Synonyms: 63 Similar and Opposite Words

coddle

verb

ˈkä-dᵊl

Definition of coddle

as in to boil

to cook in a liquid heated to the point that it gives off steam a hearty, traditional breakfast that included coddled eggs

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

as in to spoil

to treat with great or excessive care accused the judiciary of coddling criminals

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 coddle Unlike humans, digital creations don’t need to be pampered, fed or emotionally coddled. — Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 6 July 2026 They shouldn’t be coddled; instead, they should be challenged. — Candace Buckner, New York Times, 24 June 2026 This lifestyle caused many citizens to accuse the military of coddling the enemy. — Helaine Williams, Arkansas Online, 20 June 2026 She has been coddled and cloistered within her city, but the spreading vegetation interferes with that way of life. — Hannah Gold, New Yorker, 17 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for coddle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for coddle

Verb

New potatoes, Red Bliss, fingerlings, and other waxy varieties have a dense texture and hold their shape particularly well after boiling.

— Molly Baz, Bon Appetit Magazine, 15 Sep. 2026
Out toward the edge, the star would boil unstably, sloughing off outer layers and explosively ejecting mass.

— Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of boil

Verb

And with 10 games remaining, the Royals have a chance to spoil the playoff hopes of a few teams still on their schedule.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 18 Sep. 2026
That’s 10 games against teams that don’t have much to play for, aside from spoiling Toronto’s season.

— Mitch Bannon, New York Times, 16 Sep. 2026

Definition of spoil

Verb

That was especially common among Group of 6 fans, who are tired of watching their best players and coaches getting poached by wealthier programs.

— Manny Navarro, New York Times, 3 Sep. 2026
The film charts the rise of the UK’s notorious tabloid newspaper The Sun in the 1970s under the editorship of Larry Lamb, after he was poached from the Daily Mirror in 1969 by then budding media mogul Rupert Murdoch.

— Nada Aboul Kheir, Deadline, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of poach

Verb

The easygoing Mexican brunch, lunch and dinner spot became a Wesley Heights favorite for its authentic tacos, frozen drinks and stewed pork shoulder pozole rojo served with hominy, shredded cabbage, onions and cilantro over fresh tostadas.

— Heidi Finley, Charlotte Observer, 9 Sep. 2026
Others are stewed with aromatics and oil to make a riotous take on XO sauce, funky and inky and complex, which gilds the hunks of squash under their corny beurre blanc.

— Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 16 Aug. 2026

Definition of stew

Verb

At the end, Bjornsson — who had been nursing a knee injury — retained his title, although not everyone made it through unscathed.

— Rob Tanner, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Plastic water bottles pile up at shrines to Difunta Correa, who legend says miraculously nursed her infant son after dying of thirst in the desert.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of nurse

Verb

Team officials and rival evaluators have echoed that sentiment since last winter, when questions about the feasibility of this group of five infielders first started to simmer.

— Chandler Rome, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026
Energy stocks — Several energy producers gained in the wake of higher prices for West Texas Intermediate and Brent crude oil as tensions in the Middle East simmered.

— Scott Schnipper, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of simmer

Verb

The unlicensed recovery center underworld ranges from places that pamper patients with space and very personal care by licensed medical professionals to places that cram patients into spaces minded by people with limited or no medical training.

— DAVID J. NEAL, Miami Herald, 31 Aug. 2026
Ask For An Upgrade Moreso than most other vacation stays, all-inclusive resorts exist to pamper their guests.

— Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of pamper

Browse Nearby Words

codas

coddle

coddled

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Coddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coddle. Accessed 19 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of coddle

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

What’s on the Menu?

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

aggrandize

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes

Synonyms of coddle

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Articles Related to coddle

What’s on the Menu?

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

aggrandize

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Popular in Wordplay

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18

Popular

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Games & Quizzes