CRADLING Synonyms: 83 Similar and Opposite Words

cradling

verb

present participle of cradle

as in clinging

Related Words

Relevance

as in watching

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cradling

Verb

James Pantemis stopped two shots for Portland (9-12-5), which is clinging to the ninth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

— ABC News, ABC News, 20 Sep. 2026
In the eighth inning, with the Royals clinging to a 3-2 lead in rainy conditions at PNC Park, things looked good for KC.

— Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 20 Sep. 2026

Definition of clinging

Verb

Ask to eat a meal at the chef’s counter; watching the young kitchen team work is its own show.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Sep. 2026
In the demo, Meta showed people wearing the glasses while watching an NBA game and multitasking between applications.

— Sebastian Herrera, Fortune, 24 Sep. 2026

Definition of watching

Verb

Michael the Lawyer and Ben the Barrel Racer go into the third crypt (Alan calls them gay Lara Crofts) and have the option of grabbing $15,000 in gold or $5,000 and a clue about the Traitors.

— Alice Burton, Vulture, 25 Sep. 2026
Smith’s own reflection points to why the day-to-day matters more than any headline-grabbing cleanse.

— Hanna Wickes, Charlotte Observer, 25 Sep. 2026

Definition of grabbing

Verb

The minimal information on my sample contacts somewhat limited my ability to test this feature, but Breeze Assistant still impressed me with excellent suggestions for nurturing leads.

— Dianna Gunn, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2026
Handed a less demonstrative character, Ifans is very moving as a man who’s slow both to accept reality and to ask for help, despite making a living as a nurturing educator.

— Guy Lodge, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026

Definition of nurturing

Verb

But if the awards season goes as the streamer plans, a journey that began in Cannes with a rapturous standing ovation, could end with Los Javis clasping some golden statues.

— Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 3 Sep. 2026
One juror was rubbing his eyes as Sullivan talked, and another was clasping and unclasping his hands in his lap.

— Nicki Brown, CNN Money, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of clasping

Verb

And Italian identity is still — fortunately — synonymous with hospitality, dialogue and exchange, which are the conditions for cultivating intuitions, visions and innovations.

— Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 21 Sep. 2026
The payoff of those 30 years spent experimenting, playing with ingredient permutations, and cultivating an international following is the dedicated pizzaiolo's delightfully airy where the devil is in the dough.

— Kat Chen, Condé Nast Traveler, 21 Sep. 2026

Definition of cultivating

Verb

Garlin was accused by members of the cast and crew of inappropriate verbal conduct, unwanted physical contact, including hugging and touching, and behavior that some employees described as creating an uncomfortable work environment.

— Ashley Hume, FOXNews.com, 25 Sep. 2026
Last week, Baldoni took to Instagram to share a video of himself hugging Rodriguez on the first day of preproduction for House of Guerrero.

— Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 23 Sep. 2026

Definition of hugging

Verb

Her remarks drew applause from members of the audience attending the meeting.

— Cheryl V. Jackson, IndyStar, 22 Sep. 2026
Outside of work, John was a dedicated father to his three children and enjoyed traveling and attending concerts alongside his family, the Pembroke Pines Police Department said in its statement.

— Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 22 Sep. 2026

Definition of attending

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.

Browse Nearby Words

cradles

cradling

craft

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Cradling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cradling. Accessed 27 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of cradling

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

bellwether

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

More Commonly Mispronounced Words

Why do we use apostrophes to show possession?

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Back to School Vocabulary

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Sept. 25

Popular

Do You Need a New Language Peeve?

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes