DANDLE Synonyms: 51 Similar and Opposite Words

dandle

verb

ˈdan-dᵊl

Definition of dandle

as in to spoil

to treat with great or excessive care the college president is a past master at dandling wealthy alumni

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 dandle The tale is pilfered from the Aeneid, but Virgil would blench to see the curtain rise on Jupiter, dandling Ganymede, a beautiful boy, upon his knee. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025 An hour later, Musk took X to New York and dandled him on his knee while being photographed for Time. — Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2023 Vet emailed me a photo of Sly contentedly dandling a grandson in his lap. — David Kamp, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dandle

Verb

My interruptions only spoiled the spontaneous flow of Bob’s thoughts.

— Keith McDermott, Vanity Fair, 30 Oct. 2026
In at least one case, refrigeration units' temperatures were turned up overnight, leaving large quantities of food wilted or spoiled by morning, Reuters reported.

— Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of spoil

Verb

Joeys will leave the pouch at about 235 days old, but will continue to nurse until about 1-year-old, sometimes longer.

— Kendrick Calfee, Kansas City Star, 24 Oct. 2026
The Saints could be without star quarterback Brailon Davis who’s nursing an injury, but backup Bodie Brown has stepped in and completed 32 of 45 for 454 yards and seven touchdowns in the past two games.

— Darren Lauber, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of nurse

Verb

As European society indulges its whims, the continent hurtles unthinkingly toward a devastating war.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2026
The show is based on Rachel Reid’s bestsellers about two hockey players, one Canadian, one Russian, who indulge a private love affair.

— Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of indulge

Verb

Within this supreme divine presence, each child, and every parent, as the spiritual expression of God, is tenderly fathered and mothered.

— The Christian Science Monitor, Christian Science Monitor, 22 Oct. 2026
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

Definition of mother

Verb

These days, the playing field has widened considerably, with gentle chemical formulas and K-beauty options designed to pamper and protect the skin.

— Iman Balagam, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2026
At one point luxury travel meant being able to be anywhere and have the comforts of your office—yachts and Aman resorts offer satellite service and Wi-Fi so that you can be pampered but still take a meeting or be active in the family group chat.

— Marisa Meltzer, Vanity Fair, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of pamper

Verb

Everywhere are cosseting details like stiffer mounting bushes and extra damping bars.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 2 Oct. 2026
Let the explosion of vintage typewriters suspended from the giant wall abutting the check-in desk be your first clue as to what this contemporary but cosseting boutique property is all about.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Sep. 2026

Definition of cosset

Browse Nearby Words

dandies

dandle

dandled

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Dandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dandle. Accessed 4 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of dandle

verb

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

fulsome

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

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

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Ten More Words from Taylor Swift Songs

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes