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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In a video shared by the Broncos from the unveiling, Smith is seen carefully caressed the statue of her son's face just after the curtain drops.—
Natasha Dye,
PEOPLE,
21 Oct. 2025 -
Then Jennifer Tilly’s hand gently caresses Gina Gershon’s face from her cheek down to her chin.—
James Factora,
Them.,
26 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Taken together, the answers provided a sort of battle-damage assessment of the current moment, the kind undertaken while everyone is still patting themselves to figure out which parts survived the explosion intact.—
Susan B. Glasser,
New Yorker,
30 Oct. 2025
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That’s cute, today’s masters of the universe will chuckle while patting your head.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Sometimes just stroking the ball to the other field, as Andres Gimenez did to drive in a run, or rolling one through the hole as Addison Barger did for an RBI in that inning, works just as well.—
Jim Alexander,
Oc Register,
29 Oct. 2025
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The scrawny stray Marlon Brando stroked in The Godfather was found on the Paramount lot the morning of the shoot.—
Steve Garbarino,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Fondle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fondle. Accessed 6 Nov. 2025.
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