dandle

verb

ˈdan-dᵊl How to pronounce dandle (audio)
Definition of dandlenext
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
  1. spoil
  2. nurse
  3. baby
  4. indulge
  5. mother
  6. coddle
  7. pamper
  8. cosset
Verb
  • The heat won’t be the only thing spoiling New Yorkers’ fun in the sun this weekend.
    — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Without spoiling too much, there is a detour on this treasure hunt that leads Diarra and company into Tubi movie situation.
    — Joshua Rothkopf, Los Angeles Times, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of spoil
Verb
  • The two met before the actor underwent heart surgery in 2009, and Schneider, a graphic designer, reportedly helped nurse the star back to health following his procedure.
    — Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Uncle Jimmy hung back by the drippy windows at the rear of the kitchen nursing a Schlitz.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of nurse
Verb
  • No one’s babying him (at Houston).
    — David Aldridge, New York Times, 21 June 2026
  • Could baby owls and eagles be the key to stopping the spread of bird flu?
    — John Lauritsen, CBS News, 11 June 2026
Definition of baby
Verb
  • Here was a doctor borrowing the language of a fast food brand while encouraging people not to fear indulging.
    — Karin Eldor, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
  • In Salzburg, Dudamel indulged the Vienna Philharmonic’s incomparable lushness, those plush strings, glowing winds, golden brass, voluminous timpani.
    — Classical Music Critic, Los Angeles Times, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of indulge
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
Verb
  • North Carolina politician says Democrats are coddling criminals Records also list a September 2025 simple-assault charge and a March 2025 charge of assault on a female.
    — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026
  • Serrano comes across as someone with no inclination to coddle elite students.
    — Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 8 July 2026
Definition of coddle
Verb
  • Luxury hotels in Miami are competing to pamper guests’ dogs with gourmet menus, spa treatments and canine concierges.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 8 Aug. 2026
  • The extraordinary service will so pamper you that your return to real life may be a rough awakening.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 5 Aug. 2026
Definition of pamper
Verb
  • He was cosseted by two Shin Bet guards, their faces shielded by face masks.
    — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 29 July 2026
  • Great Magnificent Mile location for exploring the city, and a cosseting base to retreat to when exhausted.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2026
Definition of cosset

Browse Nearby Words

dandies
dandle
dandled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dandle. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
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 zeugma

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

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

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

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

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

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

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
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All