as in suckling
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Recent Examples of foundling
When Heathcliff, a foundling, discovers that Cathy Earnshaw, the daughter of the impoverished Yorkshire lord who’s taken him in, has played a prank on him by putting eggs in his beds to be crushed, the boy plunges his fingers into the slippery puddle of yolk and albumen left behind.
—
Alison Willmore, Vulture, 9 Feb. 2026
Cathy might be as uninhibited as Heathcliff when roaming the outdoors, but a woman of her status can’t be allowed to marry a foundling, especially one who now works for her family as a servant.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
The idea for the Innocenti began in medieval times and required more than a century of plans, donations, and negotiations before the arrival of its first trovatello, foundling.
—Literary Hub, 24 Nov. 2025
There were grim meetings with every male foundling who landed on the streets or showed up at city hospitals.
—Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News, 3 May 2025
But Mufasa's welcome is no kinder than the reception Dickens doled out to the foundlings scattered throughout his novels.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 20 Dec. 2024
Clementine seems a foundling in need of any stable influence, while in her spookily near-complete isolation (there’s no hint of contact with friends or family), Kelly-Anne could use a little basic humanizing.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 6 Sep. 2024
The tiny foundling — so small the women could scoop it up by hand — means that there is at least one breeding pair in the area.
—Freda Kreier, New York Times, 24 Oct. 2023
The mission even concludes with Bo bringing back the three dragon babies, in the hopes of perhaps training them to be foundlings as well.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2023
Alison Willmore, Vulture, 9 Feb. 2026
Cathy might be as uninhibited as Heathcliff when roaming the outdoors, but a woman of her status can’t be allowed to marry a foundling, especially one who now works for her family as a servant.
—David Sims, The Atlantic, 9 Feb. 2026
The idea for the Innocenti began in medieval times and required more than a century of plans, donations, and negotiations before the arrival of its first trovatello, foundling.
—Literary Hub, 24 Nov. 2025
There were grim meetings with every male foundling who landed on the streets or showed up at city hospitals.
—Mara Bovsun, New York Daily News, 3 May 2025
But Mufasa's welcome is no kinder than the reception Dickens doled out to the foundlings scattered throughout his novels.
—Tom Gliatto, People.com, 20 Dec. 2024
Clementine seems a foundling in need of any stable influence, while in her spookily near-complete isolation (there’s no hint of contact with friends or family), Kelly-Anne could use a little basic humanizing.
—Dennis Harvey, Variety, 6 Sep. 2024
The tiny foundling — so small the women could scoop it up by hand — means that there is at least one breeding pair in the area.
—Freda Kreier, New York Times, 24 Oct. 2023
The mission even concludes with Bo bringing back the three dragon babies, in the hopes of perhaps training them to be foundlings as well.
—Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 22 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foundling
Noun
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My parents were known for their epic new year party, my mom making hundreds of dumplings by hand, often supplementing that with a whole suckling pig and endless bottles of baijiu, a powerful sorghum liquor.—
Natasha Pickowicz,
Vogue,
20 Feb. 2026
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Seafood is the underrated star here—from sautéed squid to amêijoas à bulhão pato—but be sure to try the Segovian suckling pig or the 50‑day aged Mirandesa‑style ribeye, priced by weight.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Noun
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The National Sleep Foundation recommends 14 to 17 hours for newborns, 12 to 15 for infants, 11 to 14 for toddlers, 10 to 13 for preschoolers and 9 to 11 for school-age children.—
Lily Hautau,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
-
Last year, a Tennessee lawmaker introduced a bill that would temporarily preempt certain lawsuits against Abbott and other manufacturers of specialized formulas for preterm infants while the FDA studies the issue.—
Lisa Schencker,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
Noun
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There is a photo, too, of the doll itself, a nude little cherub packaged in a box designed to look like both a manger and an illuminated Bible.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
As a matter of fact, cherub tomatoes (a type of grape tomato) are the #1 snacking tomato in the entire country, says Duesenberg.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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About 37% of parents reported reading to their newborns in 2022, down from 43% in 2018.—
Kayla Huynh,
jsonline.com,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The National Sleep Foundation recommends 14 to 17 hours for newborns, 12 to 15 for infants, 11 to 14 for toddlers, 10 to 13 for preschoolers and 9 to 11 for school-age children.—
Lily Hautau,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
De Bremaeker said the child has had no access to essential medical care and devices since his deportation.—
Christopher Buchanan,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Adult witnesses whom Cox will be able to question include a mother who had a child under the age of 12 with her and allegedly saw Cox masturbating in the shower.—
Amy DeLaura,
The Washington Examiner,
7 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Number two, what a little time and compassion can do for neonates and orphans.—
Jen Reeder,
Forbes.com,
15 Jan. 2026
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Among these studies, 12 post-approval studies included 3,646 neonates, newborns, infants and children.—
Dr. Jade Cobern,
ABC News,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
-
Ben Wang delivers a breakthrough performance in the title role as a kid who tries to conquer his anxiety issues head-on by running for class president.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
12 Mar. 2026
-
According to his lawyer, Jimenez was trying to encourage the agents to wrap up before the kids arrived.—
Ruby Cramer,
New Yorker,
12 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But 2026 looks set to be the real year of the Chanel boy—and finally!—
Anna Cafolla,
Vogue,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The combat veteran, 41, also dreaded crying in front of anyone, especially her baby boy, who was still her baby boy, despite being 18 years old, 6-foot-5, and newly married.—
Danielle Paquette,
Washington Post,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Foundling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foundling. Accessed 13 Mar. 2026.
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