foundling

Definition of foundlingnext

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of foundling The connection between the films goes far beyond the presence of a foundling. Richard Brody, New Yorker, 27 Mar. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for foundling
Noun
  • Count on a lunchtime carving station, with a chef slicing everything from a giant roast beef haunch to whole suckling pig.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Sep. 2026
  • It’s known for traditional cuisine, especially its roasted suckling pig.
    Nuno Gonçalo Correia, Travel + Leisure, 3 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Infected mothers can also pass HIV to their infants during pregnancy, labor and delivery, and breastfeeding.
    Lex Harvey, CNN Money, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Surgeons at a children's hospital in Missouri earlier this year successfully separated infant twin sisters, who had been born conjoined at the head, hospital officials announced Wednesday.
    Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Owls, bats and dragons drawn from Chinese mythology seem suspended inside transparent spheres, while cherub-like children run in circles.
    Anthony DeMarco, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • Gordon is cherub-faced, with low affect, speaks in a laconic and analytic style, and has a wry and elusive smile.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 July 2026
Noun
  • Best baby bath accessories Make bath time just a little simpler and with a few less tears by using this bath pitcher with a two-in-one design for newborns to toddlers.
    BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Their newborn was holding onto 24-year-old Bongiovi’s finger in the photo.
    Entertainment Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • She has been banned from traveling abroad since 2009 and is unable to join her husband and two children who live in exile in France.
    Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Competitive compensation helps Broward recruit and retain the talented teachers and education professionals our children deserve.
    Roberto Fernandez III, Sun Sentinel, 20 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Males guard the eggs and newborn frogs, called neonates.
    Ana V. Longo, The Conversation, 24 June 2026
  • There have been publications about nicotine transmission and neonates after blood transfusion.
    Torie Bosch, STAT, 1 June 2026
Noun
  • Attacking Vicki for working is the Vicki equivalent of going after another Housewife’s kids.
    Tom Smyth, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026
  • Hamilton and Kim also smile for a selfie alongside a friend and Khloé, who joined the two along with her kids, daughter True, 8, and Tatum, 4, on the trip.
    Madison E. Goldberg, PEOPLE, 18 Sep. 2026
Noun
  • Brody Drewes shot 68 (-4) to help Lake Minneola boys golf edge Eustis by one stroke to win the West Orange Invitational.
    Steve Gorches, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Even though the Longs have no more boys arriving at La Serna, there’s a sister who will be freshman next year at La Serna.
    Eric Sondheimer, Los Angeles Times, 19 Sep. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Foundling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foundling. Accessed 23 Sep. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!