gentling

verb

present participle of gentle
1
as in appeasing
to lessen the anger or agitation of employees soon learned that their hot-tempered boss needed to be gentled several times a day

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in caressing
to touch or handle in a tender or loving manner soothingly gentled his cat's head as she was being treated by the vet

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in softening
to lessen the shock of adding a bit of sugar to the salsa will gentle the hot spiciness of the chili peppers

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for gentling
  1. appeasing
  2. caressing
  3. softening
  4. comforting
  5. stroking
  6. calming
  7. patting
  8. soothing
Verb
  • The bill now also includes a compromise on stablecoin yield aimed at appeasing banking interests by directing the Treasury secretary to restrict rewards if deposit flight from community banks occurs on a substantial scale.
    — Garrett Downs, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026
  • In 1938, British, French, German and Italian leaders concluded the Munich Agreement, which was aimed at appeasing Adolf Hitler by allowing Nazi annexation of Czechoslovakia’s Sudetenland.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of appeasing
Verb
  • In one video, pop singer Madison Beer was seen caressing Los Angeles Chargers quarterback Justin Herbert's face as if the two were shooting a scene straight out of a reality show.
    — Joe Kinsey OutKick, FOXNews.com, 14 Aug. 2026
  • In the snap, Portman, who’s expecting her third baby, her first with partner Tanguy Destable, could be seen standing in front of an apartment balcony in an oversized blue button-down, caressing her stomach.
    — Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026
Definition of caressing
Verb
  • The women supposedly work more in caretaker jobs like teaching and healthcare, softening their views toward the least of us.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2026
  • Creamy sandalwood is the star here, with cinnamon adding warmth and ylang-ylang softening things up.
    — Amanda Le, InStyle, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of softening
Verb
  • That means the baby’s crib or bassinet can be next to the parents’ bed, which makes feeding and comforting easier, but the baby should sleep on a separate surface.
    — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 1 Oct. 2026
  • The food is a mixed bag—ranging from comforting to unimpressive to genuinely delicious, in the case of Or’esh, which was the clear standout.
    — Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of comforting
Verb
  • Guests have reported footsteps in the attic, the feeling of someone stroking their face, a shower rode repeatedly flying off the wall and loud noises from outside the front door when no one is there.
    — Kaitlyn Keegan, Hartford Courant, 25 Sep. 2026
  • There was only one other visitor, another mother stroking another small head.
    — Fran Moreland Johns, The Atlantic, 11 May 2026
Definition of stroking
Verb
  • The vision conversation resulted in more activity in regions tied to motivation, to visual imagination and to calming the stress response.
    — Catherine Bell, Forbes.com, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Still plenty of uncertainty around this name, but having old CEO Dev Ittycheria back in the interim is a calming force.
    — Jim Cramer, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of calming
Verb
  • In this case, there’s no swiping or rubbing at all—just let the pads sit and soak in for a few minutes before gently patting in the excess.
    — Jenny Jin, Glamour, 29 Sep. 2026
  • His goal late against the Leafs was due and showed his hands and dexterity for a big man taking a puck off the wall and patting it in at the post.
    — Scott Wheeler, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of patting
Verb
  • British-Nigerian actor Toheeb Jimoh had already adopted the gadget for its anxiety-soothing properties, meanwhile.
    — Alex Wynne, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • The rooms at Stockholm’s Stadshotell (formerly a women’s shelter) are exquisite, lovely examples of soothing Scandinavian minimalism.
    — Riza Cruz, Vogue, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of soothing
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Gentling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/gentling. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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