coddle

verb

ˈkä-dᵊl How to pronounce coddle (audio)
Definition of coddlenext
1
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

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2
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 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 Still, James Bond media can't coddle our fears. — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 1 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for coddle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coddle
  1. boil
  2. spoil
  3. poach
  4. indulge
  5. stew
  6. nurse
  7. simmer
  8. pamper
Verb
  • Waiting for Lefty The actor Steven Pasquale makes his directing debut with this revival of Clifford Odets’s 1935 play made famous by the Group Theatre, about the boiling tensions of a Depression-era New York cabdrivers’ strike.
    — Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Consider boiling your water for at least one to three minutes, depending on your altitude, to purify it.
    — Elaine Reno, The Conversation, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of boil
Verb
  • David Szondy/New Atlas The main drawback of all this is that paratroopers must still be dropped from an aircraft, which is often visible enough to spoil the whole stealth thing.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 4 Sep. 2026
  • To say more about director George Roy Hill’s remarkably gratifying thriller would risk spoiling it.
    — Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 3 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
  • From turning heads on the sidewalk to indulging at a local pub, the London native hits the streets with a touch of British humor and charm.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 8 Sep. 2026
  • Professional patient Argan indulges his every ailment, and schemes to marry off his daughter to a doctor to save on medical bills.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of indulge
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
  • Cooking techniques Common cooking techniques include simmering ingredients in wine or broth, braising meats and vegetables, and sautéing or frying foods in butter or olive oil.
    — Laura Payne, Encyclopedia Britannica, 9 Sep. 2026
  • The violence that has been simmering with the Ploughman now erupts into a revolution joined by thousands and thousands of peasants.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 9 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

“Coddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coddle. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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