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
  • Covid-19 vaccination continues to be associated with a reduced risk of hospitalization, including among people at high risk of severe disease, such as older adults and infants.
    — Jacqueline Howard, CNN Money, 4 Nov. 2026
  • Union’s clinics also are offering vaccinations for infants earlier than normally scheduled, as health experts advise in areas experiencing measles outbreaks.
    — Peter Smith, Los Angeles Times, 4 Nov. 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
  • Kristin and Fletch also had a newborn to care for while trying to keep the project moving.
    — Tereza Shkurtaj, PEOPLE, 31 Oct. 2026
  • In August, a fire triggered by an exploding air conditioner killed 14 newborns in a nursery at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences in Islamabad.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 Oct. 2026
Noun
  • He was sentenced to four years’ probation and initially ordered to stay away from his ex-wife and two children for six years, which was later reduced to two years, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
    — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 8 Nov. 2026
  • At least one person reported that the children, ages 12 and 5, were trapped on the second floor of the home, officials said.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 8 Nov. 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
  • Set the scene Set right on Seven Mile Beach, the sprawling Ritz-Carlton property is a playground for global jetsetters, families with older kids, and even celebrated chefs during the hotel’s annual Cayman Cookout.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Nov. 2026
  • In it, a young kid traverses New Orleans to fish, goes door to door selling his game, and learns how to drive, among other things.
    — Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 6 Nov. 2026
Noun
  • One book tells the story of two boys who are thrown into a river and transform into salmon, sharing traditional knowledge and cultural teachings through the Nisenan language.
    — Conor McGill, CBS News, 7 Nov. 2026
  • On July 22, 1979, a boy between 12 and 16 years old was found on the Imperial Beach shoreline.
    — Teri Figueroa, San Diego Union-Tribune, 7 Nov. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Foundling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/foundling. Accessed 8 Nov. 2026.

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