as in to caress
to touch or handle in a tender or loving manner
a cat who enjoys being fondled by his loving owners
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fondle
Verb
-
Then Jennifer Tilly’s hand gently caresses Gina Gershon’s face from her cheek down to her chin.—
James Factora,
Them.,
26 Sep. 2025 -
The Young Pope star was seen caressing Coan’s back and whispering in her ear.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
The clip, shared by Sarah Ingle (@saraheingle), a dedicated dog fosterer, shows seven-month-old Cookie Crisps nestled in her arms while Ingle gently pats her bottom.—
Lucy Notarantonio,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
-
Both teams patted the star wideout on the back after he was loaded onto the cart.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
While fans and pundits stroke their chins and ponder Arsenal’s attacking alchemy, their defensive record is perhaps taken for granted.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
2 Oct. 2025
-
One game, especially one so dominated by the defense, certainly isn’t enough to decide whether this is even an issue, but noted QB whisperer O’Connell has to be stroking his chin.—
John Shipley,
Twin Cities,
22 Sep. 2025
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.
Cite this Entry
“Fondle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fondle. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share