1
2
as in spoils
to treat with great or excessive care
accused the judiciary of coddling criminals
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coddles
Verb
-
The southern gothic The Heart, She Holler takes the convoluted elements of a soap opera — torrid affairs, small-town corruption, arbitrary plot twists — and boils them down alongside a heavy dose of gross-out surrealism to fit into 11-minute installments.—
Eric Vilas-Boas,
Vulture,
18 Mar. 2026 -
Bobbi boils with resentment and shame when Recife’s crooked police chief undermines his masculinity.—
Michael Snyder,
The Atlantic,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Pushing too much hostility between team members or pushing Anthony too hard to be the peacekeeper could easily create an ugly atmosphere that spoils the vibe.—
Ben Travers,
IndieWire,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Frozen fruit keeps it affordable year-round and nothing spoils mid-week.—
Allison Palmer,
Kansas City Star,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Chris is a freelance journalist who, when not writing or falling further down the Lego rabbit hole, indulges his taste for horror, sci-fi and the post-apocalyptic.—
Chris McMullen,
Space.com,
26 Mar. 2026
-
Elsewhere, Fennell indulges a familiar impulse to shock, or at least to jolt us awake.—
Justin Chang,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
There’s a time and a place for a laborious chili recipe with upwards of 30 ingredients that simmers all day long.—
Josh Miller,
Southern Living,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Black lives don’t matter in Warwick Thornton’s fiercely original outback Western Wolfram, a surprisingly emotional genre piece that simmers with menace and doesn’t let up until the bloody finale.—
Damon Wise,
Deadline,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Her father — struggling with poverty and the grief over his wife's death — wants to shoot it, but Jessica secretly nurses the animal back to health, bringing her closer to her father in the process.—
Domenica Bongiovanni,
IndyStar,
25 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
Infused with the brand’s signature scent—a warm, sophisticated blend of amber, musk, and florals—this shampoo not only cleanses but also pampers the senses.—
Jenny Berg,
Vogue,
24 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Creative fire rises as the nurturing Moon enters Aries and gleams within your 5th House of Creativity, encouraging bold self-expression in whichever way most pleases your heart.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
19 Mar. 2026
-
But a little later, Laura asks to stay with this good Samaritan rather than go with the EMTs, an arrangement that clearly pleases Betty.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Each new piece was crafted to be simple, functional, and beautiful, giving parents peace of mind and babies a nurturing space to grow.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Dec. 2025
-
Hummers are the smallest and lightest of birds, some weighing no more than a coin, some babies the size of a bean.—
Kate Siber,
Outside,
21 Oct. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Coddles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coddles. Accessed 29 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
