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
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for fondle
Verb
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Being tenderly caressed physically searched by a Transportation Security Administration agent.—
James Factora,
Them.,
11 Apr. 2025 -
With her usual mastery of dynamics, Laferte starts out sweetly caressing each phrase.—
Jon Pareles,
New York Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Oh, and guys named John Elway, Dan Marino and Tom Brady were among others who patted the ball before throwing.—
Terence Moore,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
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On the red carpet at the 76th EE BAFTA Film Awards in February 2023, Kate playfully patted William's butt with a light love tap.—
Christopher Rudolph,
People.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Janine slips June a keycard and tells her to meet her there later, then scurries off to stroke stupid Bell’s stupid ego.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
22 Apr. 2025
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Research now shows that some stalwart seafarers stroked their way from mainland Europe to the island of Malta, about 60 miles away, about 8,500 years ago, according to an article in the journal Nature.—
Paul Smaglik,
Discover Magazine,
9 Apr. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Fondle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fondle. Accessed 7 May. 2025.
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