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
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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
1
2
as in to mother
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cradle
Alia Beard Rau, USA Today, 10 June 2026
This 10-pack of plastic melon cradles was a lifesaver last year once my pumpkins started maturing late July.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 June 2026
Air Mail, 11 Apr. 2026
Its burgundy spine wore out many years ago, so layer on layer of tape tries desperately to cradle over 60 pages of newspaper cuttings documenting every word ever published about her son, Jamie Mitchell.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cradle
Noun
Its sheer red sandstone cliffs, carved over millions of years, cradle ancient cliff dwellings and rock art that tell stories of the ancestral Puebloans.
—Alia Beard Rau, USA Today, 10 June 2026
This 10-pack of plastic melon cradles was a lifesaver last year once my pumpkins started maturing late July.
—Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 7 June 2026
Verb
Handcrafted since 1852, these Swedish masterpieces are made with layers of natural horsehair, cotton, wool, and flax, designed to cradle your body while wicking away moisture and regulating temperature.
—Air Mail, 11 Apr. 2026
Its burgundy spine wore out many years ago, so layer on layer of tape tries desperately to cradle over 60 pages of newspaper cuttings documenting every word ever published about her son, Jamie Mitchell.
—Jordan Campbell, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for cradle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cradle
Noun
-
Elvis’s birthplace, Tupelo, Mississippi Elvis Presley was born on January 8, 1935, in a small two-room home in Tupelo, Mississippi.—
Elizabeth Stamp,
Architectural Digest,
16 June 2026
-
Grab a seat at Louis' Lunch, widely credited as the birthplace of the hamburger.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Travel + Leisure,
15 June 2026
Noun
-
Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency cited a military source as saying today that the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, and that the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Navy has not issued permission for any vessels to transit until further notice.—
Mitchell McCluskey,
CNN Money,
21 June 2026
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The agent can tell the planner where the source data came from, which parameters the calculation was based on, the decision-tree logic, and, for the mathematically minded, even the formula.—
Steve Banker,
Forbes.com,
20 June 2026
Verb
-
However, instead of the pilot starting the engines during pushback and the tug disconnecting afterward, TaxiBot remains attached to the nose gear via a specialized pivoting clamping platform.—
David Szondy
June 07,
New Atlas,
7 June 2026
-
Crocodiles clamp onto a limb or section of flesh and rotate violently until tissue separates.—
Scott Travers,
Forbes.com,
28 May 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Saturday Night Live host Matt Damon was cast as the adoring husband in Mom, an entirely inoffensive movie where nothing bad happens—something that mothers everywhere will enjoy.—
William Vaillancourt,
Rolling Stone,
10 May 2026
Noun
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The show has evolved over its long tenure, but its bombastic 50th season managed to both capture the spirit of the show's origins and honor its long legacy.—
Kelly Lawler,
USA Today,
17 June 2026
-
The objective is to study the composition and origin of the domes and surroundings.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Keep your core engaged and grip the machine handles.—
Jakob Roze,
Health,
18 June 2026
-
From this gripping moment, our film reveals humanity’s greatest adventure in space, uncovering the origin story of NASA and the Apollo program, one that reflects our precarious times.—
Brent Lang,
Variety,
17 June 2026
Verb
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The political landscape around data centers has since changed since Newsom’s veto in October, said Dan Schnur, a political science professor who teaches at UC Berkeley and USC.—
Katie King,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
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Today, Buffalo Soldiers motorcycle groups nationwide focus on teaching Black military history, using their motorcycles to represent the cavalry.—
Camila Pedrosa,
Sacbee.com,
20 June 2026
Noun
-
The breakfast buffet’s extensive sweets, candy, and chocolate fountain section is just one clear indication of that.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 June 2026
-
On a bench near the Mill Creek Park fountain, Karina Stickar and Natael Vera sipped on a cup of yerba mate.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cradle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cradle. Accessed 23 Jun. 2026.
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