as in caressing
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 fondling
Verb
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The basis of the important therapy stems from studies showing that holding and caressing an animal provides benefits such as relaxation, lower blood pressure, decreasing anxiety, and increasing positivity, according to the news release.—
Dawn Giangiulio,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
15 Feb. 2026 -
Williams knows how to humanize this bare-bones vocabulary, minutely adjusting the voicing of a chord or caressing the last of a set of recurring motifs with a regretful ritardando.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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At first, Hanke thought Miyabi was just stroking his ego.—
Lucia Cheng,
Des Moines Register,
25 Mar. 2026
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She was later reunited with her dog, stroking him in stunned silence before being taken to the hospital.—
Danielle Bacher,
PEOPLE,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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David Zaslav stopped by to chat with DiCaprio too, patting his star on the back.—
Lindsey Bahr,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
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David Zaslav stopped by to chat with DiCaprio too, patting his star on the back.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
15 Mar. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Fondling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fondling. Accessed 30 Mar. 2026.
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