as in caressing
to touch or handle in a tender or loving manner
a cat who enjoys being fondled by his loving owners
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of fondling
Antonio Burton, 37, was originally charged with child molesting when the defendant is at least 21 years old, a Level 1 felony, and child molesting, fondling or touching a child under 14, a Level 4 felony.
—
Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
Worse is to come as Waaler insists on creepily fondling her cooling corpse — and makes Hole to do the same.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 27 Mar. 2026
Meredith Colias-Pete, Chicago Tribune, 2 Apr. 2026
Worse is to come as Waaler insists on creepily fondling her cooling corpse — and makes Hole to do the same.
—K.j. Yossman, Variety, 27 Mar. 2026
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
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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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Elton John doing a handstand on his keyboard, Roger Daltrey stroking a microphone, Ian Anderson making the flute somehow look cool — his pictures became a means of connection for fans.—
David Di Sabatino,
SPIN,
3 Apr. 2026
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At first, Hanke thought Miyabi was just stroking his ego.—
Lucia Cheng,
Des Moines Register,
25 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The Hall of Fame forward and all-time franchise leader in nearly every major statistical category walked into the arena with Timberwolves co-owners Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez after player introductions, receiving a roar from the crowd and patting his heart with his hand.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
13 Apr. 2026
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Will foundations stop patting themselves on the back for diversity pledges and start funding the Black innovation ecosystem at scale?—
Felecia Hatcher,
Fortune,
7 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Fondling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/fondling. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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