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 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 Viewed harshly, Hacks is less a great Hollywood comedy than a deeply coddling fantasy, but there’s also a softer, more interesting way to read it. — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 May 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
  • Getting that apparently trivial behavior working involved Home Assistant, MQTT, custom software, and more Claude, Codex and ChatGPT tokens than one should reasonably associate with boiling pasta.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The clip, filmed last month, appeared to show a young man standing on a table at a Haidilao branch in Shanghai urinating into a vat of boiling broth.
    — Jenny Lee, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of boil
Verb
  • Cloud Residence spoils you even further with one pool on the terrace and another pool and a hot tub on its roof.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The seeming confirmation that Cyberleek has a full build, likely from 2025, opens the door to the possibility that the story of GTA VI could start being spoiled.
    — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of spoil
Verb
  • That’s why Miami needs to be aggressive trying to find a competent backup center, guard and tackle on the waiver wire via trades and through practice squad poaching.
    — Omar Kelly August 24, Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Hickey had to send an apology letter to the city of Dover, Ohio for trespassing and poaching a 10-point buck in a public park.
    — Kris Millgate, Outdoor Life, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of poach
Verb
  • Remmick, Jimmy Crystal and Larry Lamb share an unrelenting desire to entertain, whether performing music outside a juke joint, indulging amusement with graphic violence or delighting the British reading public with scandal and drama.
    — Daniel D'Addario, Variety, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Setting a specific treat budget or deciding in advance how often to indulge can help keep the habit intentional.
    — Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of indulge
Verb
  • 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
  • Idda takes an epic approach to unearthing the packed layers of a stewing friendship.
    — Zac Ntim, Deadline, 21 July 2026
Definition of stew
Verb
  • Although starting center Connor McGovern is nursing a leg injury, Lloyd Cushenberry is Buffalo’s top backup, leaving third-year player Sedrick Van Pran-Granger on the bubble.
    — Nicki Jhabvala, New York Times, 25 Aug. 2026
  • Linebacker unit thinned out by injuries The left ankle injury Trey Moore sustained in Miami’s 26-3 loss to the Giants on Saturday means three of the four viable starters in this unit are nursing an injury.
    — Omar Kelly August 24, Miami Herald, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of nurse
Verb
  • One of China’s biggest restaurant chains has promised to refund thousands of customers after footage of a patron urinating into a simmering hotpot went viral online, triggering a public outcry.
    — Jenny Lee, CNBC, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Served on a bed of jasmine rice, the bowl includes chicken tinga — a Mexican dish in which the chicken is shredded and simmered in a smoky, slightly spicy red sauce — roasted corn salsa, pico de gallo, avocado crema and sliced jalapeños.
    — Idaho Statesman, Idaho Statesman, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of simmer
Verb
  • 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
  • The vintage architecture of the 130-year-old hotel is a pastiche of Gothic Revival turrets and arches, a stone castle masquerading as what is arguably the world's most luxurious and pampering ski hotel.
    — Everett Potter, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
Definition of pamper

Browse Nearby Words

codas
coddle
coddled
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Cite this Entry

“Coddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coddle. Accessed 29 Aug. 2026.

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