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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After Thursday’s game, Weaver faced questions from reporters as an obvious culprit in spoiling McLean’s masterpiece.—
Will Sammon,
New York Times,
10 Apr. 2026
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More specifically — and without spoiling a story that piles the twists as high as the corpses — Pine's an ex-British soldier pulled from his porter duties and recruited to surveil a ruthless arms dealer, Richard Roper (Hugh Laurie) staying at the hotel.—
Matt Cabral,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Apr. 2026
Verb
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James, however, re-entered the Lakers’ lineup after sitting out Tuesday night’s blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder while nursing his left foot to remain fresh himself.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
10 Apr. 2026
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He was loaded onto a truck and transported to SeaWorld Orlando, where staff would spend the next two months nursing him back to health.—
Ryan Brennan
April 9,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The elder Junod gave off mixed messages, abusing his long-suffering wife while indulging his gifted son.—
Hamilton Cain,
Time,
3 Mar. 2026
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There’s a conversation for Nebraska worth indulging this spring.—
Mitch Sherman,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Beneath a soaring wooden ceiling hung with a trio of dramatically oversize string lamps, Turner softened the blues and dialed up the tactile richness, establishing a more mature, cosseting mood.—
Andrew Sessa,
Robb Report,
5 Apr. 2026
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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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Top 5 Can’t Miss Stay at a luxe beach resort like Montage Laguna Beach for stunning ocean views and spa pampering.—
Acacia Gabriel,
Travel + Leisure,
12 Apr. 2026
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There are self-pampering add-ons too, like scheduling an in-room Swedish and deep-tissue massage, or elevating your sleep with a personalized turndown service.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Accordingly, accusations of coddling Communists threatened that relationship.—
Encyclopedia Britannica,
Encyclopedia Britannica,
6 Mar. 2026
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Leisure bred laziness; coddling meant spoiling.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dandling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dandling. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
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