cradle 1 of 2

noun

ˈkrā-dᵊl How to pronounce cradle (audio)
Definition of cradlenext
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
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

cradle

2 of 2

verb

1
as in to clamp

Related Words
2
as in to mother

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 cradle
Noun
In the case of Tempur-Pedic, known for its NASA testing, the cushioning absorbs any movement with cradle-like precision. — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 24 June 2026 By the end of the 19th century, bean pots were so iconic that they were used as souvenirs, although some early tourism officials lamented that such an ordinary item came to be associated with a city that prides itself as being the cradle of the American Revolution. — Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 23 June 2026
Verb
In a photo shared by the outlet, Olsen is seen cradling her baby bump while out to lunch in Los Angeles. — Christina Perrier, InStyle, 12 June 2026 Harry cradles the young princess in his arms as Meghan, dressed all in khaki, rests her arm on his shoulder lovingly. — Edward Segarra, USA Today, 10 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for cradle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cradle
  1. birthplace
  2. source
  3. clamp
  4. mother
  5. origin
  6. grip
  7. teach
  8. fountain
Noun
  • Khamenei’s body will then be returned to Iran to be buried Thursday at the Imam Reza shrine in Mashhad, his birthplace.
    — Jon Gambrell, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
  • The capital of Italy’s Tuscany region, Florence is the historic birthplace of the Renaissance.
    — Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 8 July 2026
Definition of birthplace
Noun
  • The Sacramento Housing and Redevelopment Agency will search for new funding sources for environmental cleanup at a River District property slated for affordable senior housing, after the organization was passed over for a federal grant.
    — Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 8 July 2026
  • If multiple people become infected within a neighborhood, a typical source would be a cooling tower, hot tub or spray fountain, NYC Health wrote on its website.
    — Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 8 July 2026
Definition of source
Verb
  • The headphones uses a 12-point through-bolt construction, with 12 screws clamping the housing assembly from the outer housing to the front plate.
    — Mark Sparrow, Forbes.com, 10 July 2026
  • The birth went smoothly, and the men used an iPhone charger to clamp the umbilical cord until EMS personnel arrived, WABC reported.
    — Sam Gillette, PEOPLE, 9 July 2026
Definition of clamp
Verb
  • The new cub's arrival marks the first time Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium has had a lion birth since July 2020, when lioness Abana mothered three cubs.
    — Finch Walker, USA Today, 17 June 2026
  • Virginia Dulles was the opposite of Louanne Bixby—even a hundred children couldn’t exhaust her need to mother them.
    — Jonathan Franzen, New Yorker, 1 June 2026
Definition of mother
Noun
  • The innovative fair’s first international edition will debut during Art Basel Paris and be staged in two buildings in the Marais, a swerve from its highly specific locational origins.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 9 July 2026
  • And that historically had a sort of origin in the Drake equation, which might have fallen out of favor, but really structured the conversation for a long time.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 9 July 2026
Definition of origin
Verb
  • According to the researchers, toe-grip training may improve cognition by challenging you to consciously grip a part of the body that’s not routinely isolated or used.
    — Sarah Bence, Verywell Health, 7 July 2026
  • Heavy rain and flooding are breaking a heat wave that gripped New York City and much of the Northeast last week.
    — Jeffrey Collins, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
Definition of grip
Verb
  • This fun, beginner-friendly class teaches the fundamentals of Texas Hold’em, giving you the confidence to join a friendly game.
    — Kris Slugg, San Diego Union-Tribune, 11 July 2026
  • Prince taught high school math, chemistry and physics before joining ASTC's faculty in 1959.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 11 July 2026
Definition of teach
Noun
  • The 19-year-old Mocksville man was charged with felony common law damage to real property for allegedly putting soap into the fountain, and littering for leaving behind the plastic bucket, officials said.
    — Mark Price July 10, Charlotte Observer, 10 July 2026
  • If multiple people become infected within a neighborhood, a typical source would be a cooling tower, hot tub or spray fountain, NYC Health wrote on its website.
    — Amethyst Martinez, USA Today, 10 July 2026
Definition of fountain

Browse Nearby Words

crack wise
cradle
cradled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cradle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cradle. Accessed 13 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on cradle

Nglish: Translation of cradle for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about cradle

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All