FOUNDLING Synonyms: 45 Similar and Opposite Words

foundling

noun

Definition of foundling

as in suckling

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

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

Here, the menu runs from light ricotta ravioli brightened with lemon to a suckling pig dressed with achiote, sweet potatoes, and marjoram.

— Meagan Drillinger, Travel + Leisure, 13 July 2026
As the name suggests, Phillips Avent’s silicone pacifiers help soothe babies’ suckling reflex and tame fussiness almost instantly.

— Melissa Willets, Parents, 1 July 2026

Definition of suckling

Noun

The federal government will look to deport a man accused of illegally operating a boat that capsized in New York Harbor this month, killing a woman and her infant daughter.

— Joe Kottke, NBC news, 20 Aug. 2026
But when a desperate woman carrying an infant appears outside his sanctuary, Parish is forced to choose between compassion and survival.

— Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 19 Aug. 2026

Definition of infant

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

Definition of cherub

Noun

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office intervened and raised concerns about the newborn’s need for lifesaving medical treatment after birth.

— Raven Brunner, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026
Authorities told the news outlet that Brown was a family friend to the newborn's family and took the child when his mother fell asleep.

— Dan Raby, CBS News, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of newborn

Noun

The strike in the town of Zawaida also wounded at least five other people, including a child, according to the Al-Aqsa Martyrs hospital, which received the casualties.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026
Moore, a 47-year-old elementary school teacher, had spent most of his career teaching children around Summer’s age.

— Julianna Bragg, CNN Money, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of child

Noun

The 34-year-old gave birth there to all three kids, Levi, 5, Elijah, 3, and Rae, who turns 1 in September.

— Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 21 Aug. 2026
Just as many people can’t afford to have someone else clean their homes, landscape their yards or nanny their kids, those struggling to make ends meet may need to lean on AI assistance.

— Billy J. Stratton, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of kid

Noun

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer was first published in 1876 and is all about a boy growing up along the Mississippi River in the 1840s and who is constantly getting into sticky situations.

— Caroline Rogers, Southern Living, 22 Aug. 2026
Mario Lopez While Mario Lopez’s boys were getting ready for their first day of school, big sister Gia was still enjoying her summer break.

— Stephanie Sengwe, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026