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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She was later reunited with her dog, stroking him in stunned silence before being taken to the hospital.—
Danielle Bacher,
PEOPLE,
20 Jan. 2026
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At one point Eliot entered the TV room and found Abby with her head on Claire’s lap, Claire stroking her hair.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
25 Nov. 2025
Verb
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For our littlest kids, this might mean patting the back of a worried friend, waving to an elderly neighbor, or breaking a cookie in half to share with a younger brother.—
Catherine Newman,
Parents,
22 Feb. 2026
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Akhparian asked while patting himself down and feigning to be in search of a weapon.—
Linh Tat,
Daily News,
8 Feb. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Fondling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fondling. Accessed 9 Mar. 2026.
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