cradling

verb

present participle of cradle
1
as in clinging

Related Words

Relevance
2
as in watching

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cradling
  1. clinging
  2. watching
  3. grabbing
  4. nurturing
  5. clasping
  6. cultivating
  7. hugging
  8. attending
Verb
  • At the landing zone, with bullets whipping and cracking around them, Capers—barely clinging to consciousness—refused to board the helicopter until every last man, and his dog’s body, was aboard.
    — Ethan Rocke, Charlotte Observer, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Kumar said people were clinging to trees and rescuers had to break through a home's roof to pull out two children and their parents.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 18 Aug. 2026
Definition of clinging
Verb
  • And in its place was the absolute pleasure of watching Jean Smart and Hannah Einbinder play their characters perfectly on my favorite show, just a few inches away.
    — Merrill Markoe, Deadline, 21 Aug. 2026
  • When videotape arrived, many predicted that watching movies at home would damage theatres.
    — Cory Jacobson, HollywoodReporter, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of watching
Verb
  • One of the more memorable instances finds Cole grabbing an open padlock off a door and using it to belt an opponent across the face before hooking the shackle into the dude’s mouth and using it to rip open his cheek.
    — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 21 Aug. 2026
  • But everything points to his being ready for Week 1, and Jones already didn’t run as much between the 10s last year, so a free ticket on a potential fringe-QB1 is worth grabbing.
    — Jake Ciely, New York Times, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of grabbing
Verb
  • Early on, while nurturing the skills that would lead him to a Cy Young Award, a World Series win and many other accolades, Hershiser had his eye on becoming a sports broadcaster as a second act for his career.
    — Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Partnership feels friendly as nurturing Moon lights your 7th House of Partnership, trining harmonious Venus in your 11th House of Friends and Community.
    — Tarot.com, Chicago Tribune, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of nurturing
Verb
  • These feature the American Eagle on one side, clasping an oak branch in its talons.
    — Nicole Fallert, USA Today, 20 July 2026
  • Their logo is an osprey, clasping a baseball bat in its talons.
    — Alanis Thames, Chicago Tribune, 8 July 2026
Definition of clasping
Verb
  • Amazon seems to be cultivating The Terminal List as a universe project where others like Citadel have failed.
    — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • One of the most important aspects of cultivating a thriving hydrangea is ensuring it is watered properly.
    — Madeline Buiano, Martha Stewart, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of cultivating
Verb
  • Lively included photos of herself embracing Reynolds, as well as a picture where she could be seen hugging one of her daughters.
    — Hannah Malach, InStyle, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Many of those in attendance brought their own stories of mental health crises of their own or loved ones, with individuals in the crowd hugging and sharing with each other after the moment of silence Thursday.
    — Grace Zokovitch, Boston Herald, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of hugging
Verb
  • Among those attending the camp was the 14-year-old from Spain, who is now expected to join Barcelona from Manchester City after winning the Golden Ball as the best player at the 2026 World Cup.
    — Amelie Claydon, New York Times, 18 Aug. 2026
  • Nielsen, in its report, says cities like Cincinnati, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, and Cleveland achieved their scores thanks to the number of fans listening on local radio, watching on television, or attending games, relative to the size of their markets.
    — Ian Miller OutKick, FOXNews.com, 18 Aug. 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

“Cradling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cradling. Accessed 23 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on cradling

Nglish: Translation of cradling for Spanish Speakers

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 prowess

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

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

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

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

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

The Words of the Week - Aug. 21

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

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

Words from the 'Odyssey'

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
alt-684346df967d5
Add A Letter Quiz Pick the letter that goes in the same spot in fou...
See All