as in spoiling
to treat with great or excessive care
the college president is a past master at dandling wealthy alumni
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Recent Examples of dandling
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
Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dandling
Verb
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Hanging feeders in light shade prevents the nectar from spoiling as rapidly, although nectar should be replaced every three to five days.—
Lauren Landers,
Better Homes & Gardens,
23 Feb. 2026
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Much of the damage that the larger amount would cause, especially the impact on the pond and spoiling the preserve, would still happen under the new plan.—
Stephen Underwood,
Hartford Courant,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Ellis was on the roster two seasons ago when the Vikings won the Class 4A state championship and also last season despite nursing a foot injury.—
Jeff Vorva,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
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This spray is designed to help ease your dog's stress by mimicking the calming pheromone that a mother dog releases while nursing her puppies.—
Jessica Moore,
USA Today,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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There’s a conversation for Nebraska worth indulging this spring.—
Mitch Sherman,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
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Some people think indulging our children’s unexpectedly sophisticated tastes is financially reckless, socially absurd, or proof that parenting culture has lost the plot.—
Melissa Petro,
Travel + Leisure,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
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On the first floor are some of the swishest quarters, with large rooms that benefit from floor-to-ceiling sash windows framed with thick, fringed curtains, original cornicing, cosseting color schemes of blue and rust, and large, comfy lounge areas with plenty of space to stretch out.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Conceivably one or two of them should have already been at Citi Field, but until finally summoning McLean to pitch Saturday, Stearns has been babying them in the minors.—
Bill Madden,
New York Daily News,
16 Aug. 2025
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However, some have criticized employer techniques for tracking in-office attendance as babying employees and demonstrating an unwarranted lack of trust.—
Scharon Harding,
ArsTechnica,
8 Aug. 2025
Verb
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There’s no spa or pool (yet), but deeply pampering in-room treatments can be arranged.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
22 Feb. 2026
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In Paris, every self-pampering detail—naturellement—is honed to perfection.—
Hannah Seligson,
Vanity Fair,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Leisure bred laziness; coddling meant spoiling.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
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True American industrial strength rests on productivity, innovation, competition, and access to global supply chains, not on coddling producers behind walls of higher prices.—
Veronique De Rugy,
Oc Register,
25 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dandling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dandling. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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