nestling 1 of 2

noun

Definition of nestlingnext
as in infant

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

nestling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of nestle
1
as in snuggling
to lie close nestled in next to the other kittens in the box

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in crouching
to sit or recline comfortably or cozily nestling with her children on the couch

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in perching
to establish or place comfortably or snugly we had scarcely nestled the children in their beds when there was a knock at the door

Synonyms & Similar 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 nestling
Noun
Wearing latex or nitrile gloves can help prevent your scent from clinging to the nestling and attracting predators. — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 12 Apr. 2026 While the appearance is modern and synthetic, the materials feel durable and the clean design is mature, with a cover over the cupholders and wireless charger nestling in front of the armrest. — James Morris, Forbes.com, 15 Mar. 2026
Verb
Cottagecore cozy wouldn’t be complete without a quilt, and this one from Brooklinen is on par to nestling into a cotton candy cloud. — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 4 Mar. 2026 Cocksuckers, Chuky mumbled, cradling the bottle atop his belly, nestling its spout in his shiny cleavage. — Jonathan Miles, Harpers Magazine, 27 Jan. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nestling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nestling
  1. infant
  2. snuggling
  3. crouching
  4. perching
  5. newborn
  6. cuddling
  7. lodging
  8. neonate
Noun
  • That’s the percentage of infants globally who received at least one dose of the diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine last year, according to annual WHO and UNICEF estimates.
    — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 15 July 2026
  • Kaufman has also been criticized for arguing in the past against giving infants the hepatitis B vaccine and questioning if vaccines are connected to autism and other health issues.
    — Tia Mitchell, AJC.com, 15 July 2026
Definition of infant
Verb
  • Both this percale comforter and linen quilt would be perfect for staying cozy yet cool in warm weather, while the snowflake sheet set will add some wintry whimsy that kids will love snuggling into.
    — Brittany VanDerBill, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 July 2026
  • For the next few days, while my toddler felt miserable, he and I were mostly holed up in the room snuggling while the rest of my family got sun-kissed at the beach with their cousins.
    — Kris Ann Valdez, Parents, 18 June 2026
Definition of snuggling
Verb
  • Muchová went up 3-1 early with a crouching forehand volley that just plopped inside the court, prompting applause from Gauff and a disbelieving shake of the head from Muchová.
    — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 9 July 2026
  • Bystander video captured the sound of at least seven shots and showed people crouching and running for cover.
    — Michael R. Sisak, Fortune, 15 June 2026
Definition of crouching
Verb
  • Sandy was spotted later in the day perching on top of a sugar pine tree.
    — Laura Baisas, Popular Science, 2 July 2026
  • Even a swooping hawk couldn’t resist perching on a tree overlooking the makeshift stage.
    — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of perching
Noun
  • But when a French physician tested the formula on four newborns, all of them died within days, and the episode sparked a fierce controversy.
    — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 14 July 2026
  • The discovery of the deceased newborn was one of two shocking incidents to come out of Electric Forest this year.
    — Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 14 July 2026
Definition of newborn
Verb
  • Neill was a performer whose bone-deep decency shone through his work and was amplified in later years by a social-media presence that featured him reminiscing about his career or hanging out with animals on his farm, or maybe cuddling a duck.
    — Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 14 July 2026
  • In the eight-photo carousel, the actress recapped her life with a few sweet pictures with her baby, including one of her and Green, 29, cuddling their little one in the hospital room while concealing the newborn’s face.
    — Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 8 July 2026
Definition of cuddling
Verb
  • Where to Stay There aren’t a ton of lodging options in Baileys Harbor, but the ones that do exist are all family-owned and independently operated.
    — Kristine Hansen, Travel + Leisure, 10 July 2026
  • Human trafficking prevention Senate Bill 570 requires certain lodging operators to provide human trafficking awareness training to employees.
    — Christopher Harris, CBS News, 29 June 2026
Definition of lodging
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
Definition of neonate

Browse Nearby Words

nestles
nestling
nestlings
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nestling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nestling. Accessed 19 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on nestling

Nglish: Translation of nestling for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 17
See More

Popular

See More

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
child-detective
Spot the Misspelled Word July 2026 Those little red underlines can't help you now...
See All