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
-
The Young Pope star was seen caressing Coan’s back and whispering in her ear.—
Angel Saunders,
People.com,
3 Sep. 2025 -
In photos the pop superstar shared, Kelce could be seen down on one knee as Swift caressed his face during the intimate moment.—
Tracy Wright,
FOXNews.com,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Drying Tips After washing, make sure to pat the sweet potatoes dry with a clean towel or paper towels.—
Katie Rosenhouse,
Southern Living,
4 Sep. 2025
-
Keep your greens crisp by draining, rinsing, and patting them dry before using.—
Cristina Mutchler,
Verywell Health,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Toronto first got to Junk in the third inning as Nathan Lukes stroked a leadoff double, advanced on Ernie Clement’s flyout and came home on Springer’s RBI single.—
Miami Herald,
Miami Herald,
24 Aug. 2025
-
Henry brushes it off as a nightmare; after Bug moves on, Beauchamp strokes the medallion and sings himself to sleep.—
Kimberly Roots,
TVLine,
22 Aug. 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 11 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share