1,400 new words in our dictionary! — Parasocial, glow-up, promposal & more
1,400 new words in our dictionary! — More

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
Here in a quiet public garden overlooked by the tourist guides, his fingers reverently trace a volcanic stone from Þingvellir, the ancient cradle of Icelandic democracy. — Mark Sappenfield, Christian Science Monitor, 28 Aug. 2026 Civilizationists see Europe as both the historic cradle of Western civilization and the key source of its greatest threat, liberalism. — Leonard A. Schuette, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026
Verb
On the wall, a neon sculpture of blue hands cradling a yellow heart framed by the spiky rays of a blue agave plant (Milagro’s icon) seemed to capture the spirit of the evening. — Sari Kamin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 17 June 2026 Julian loved this on the pricier Humanscale Freedom, which felt like someone was cradling his body. — Julian Chokkattu, Wired News, 16 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
  • Kojima is widely regarded as the birthplace of Japan’s domestic jeans industry.
    — Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • It’s been such an integral birthplace for so many grime tunes, and played a big role in jungle and garage music.
    — Thomas Smith, Billboard, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of birthplace
Noun
  • Even if Paramount is able to reach a settlement with the state AGs, the Paramount-WB merger will not close immediately, a knowledgeable source told Variety.
    — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 21 Sep. 2026
  • The delay again has created a potential cash crunch for districts during the wait for their cut — often a main revenue source for local governments — and added to the pile of complaints about the county’s decade-long property tax system upgrade.
    — A.D. Quig, Chicago Tribune, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of source
Verb
  • This buys her team more time to clamp the safeguard pipe, effectively saving the silo from extinction.
    — Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 2026
  • Mechanics can easily calibrate and adjust system tension using an integrated clamping piece, ensuring consistent mechanical support throughout long operational cycles.
    — IEEE Spectrum, IEEE Spectrum, 3 Sep. 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
  • Authorities didn't comment on the drone's origin or purpose, saying further investigation was needed, but two senior officials said the device was likely carrying explosives.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Sep. 2026
  • To be separated from your family of origin means intimacy without proximity.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of origin
Verb
  • The chaos gripping the court stems from the collapse of Banco Master, a mid-sized bank worth up to $16 billion in assets, which was shut down last November after a sprawling investigation into a fraud scheme involving billions of reais.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 Sep. 2026
  • The jaw works quite well, with a stiff hinge and rubberized inner panels for gripping the top of your monitor.
    — Will Greenwald, PC Magazine, 13 Sep. 2026
Definition of grip
Verb
  • He was originally sentenced to two months in prison but ultimately was allowed instead to serve the time in a work-release program, pay the back taxes and a $30,000 fine, and perform 800 hours of community service teaching art in Harlem schools.
    — BETH J. HARPAZ THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Each episode pairs her with a guest who teaches her the ins and outs of their craft, while natural conversations reveal their personal journeys, mindsets and experiences.
    — Todd Spangler, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026
Definition of teach
Noun
  • The ordinances would also ban new ornamental water features, including decorative fountains and ponds.
    — Kelly Werthmann, CBS News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Hot dogs, pretzels, popcorn and bottled water cost $2, as do fountain drinks, which include free self-serve refills.
    — Henri Hollis, AJC.com, 16 Sep. 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 21 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on cradle

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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of elegiac

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

Words from the 'Odyssey'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 18
See More

Popular

See More

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary
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
crayons-in-a-circle
Guess the Color Quiz Questions that use the whole box of crayons.
See All