nurse 1 of 2

Definition of nursenext
as in nanny
a person employed to care for a young child or children sent his little son back to his nurse so that he could return to his study to work

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

nurse

2 of 2

verb

1
2
as in to suckle
to give milk to from the breast a new mother's decision to nurse her baby

Synonyms & Similar Words

3
4
5
6
7
as in to spare
to use or give out in stingy amounts he carefully nursed his energy during the marathon so that he would have something left for the final stretch

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 nurse
Noun
Although McElroy was going into preterm labor, according to the lawsuit, the on-call nurse didn’t send her to the hospital. Abigail Brooks, NBC news, 13 May 2026 The surgeon helped support the driver's neck while Costello grabbed his torso and a woman — whom Costello later discovered was a nurse — held his legs. Rachel Raposas, PEOPLE, 13 May 2026
Verb
Doncic is still nursing a hamstring injury, which cost him the final five regular-season games and now Game 1 against Oklahoma City. Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 6 May 2026 Frankel stood tall in the final 40 seconds as Ottawa deployed an extra attacker to nurse Boston’s lead to the finish line. Jason Cooke, Boston Herald, 1 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for nurse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nurse
Noun
  • Your horse essentially gets a horsekeeper, a nanny, a bougie apartment, and an incredible professor—the trainers in Wellington are like Harvard [professors] in the world of academics.
    Elise Taylor, Vanity Fair, 7 May 2026
  • The Santa Monica Police Department arrested a nanny accused of physically abusing a baby.
    Matthew Rodriguez, CBS News, 7 May 2026
Verb
  • Saturday Night Live host Matt Damon was cast as the adoring husband in Mom, an entirely inoffensive movie where nothing bad happens—something that mothers everywhere will enjoy.
    William Vaillancourt, Rolling Stone, 10 May 2026
  • My mother lost her own mother at 14 and was never fully mothered back to wholeness.
    Eli Raphael, PEOPLE, 10 May 2026
Verb
  • The pups have the epicurean delight of suckling one of the highest fat-content milks in the animal kingdom.
    John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 24 Nov. 2025
  • Those people under him are suckling on his piggly-wiggly titties.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 10 Nov. 2025
Verb
  • McGlynn gave the Dynamo a three-goal lead in the 55th with assists from Ennali and Santos, who already has five helpers.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 May 2026
  • Natural light pours into the bathrooms, and ground-floor accommodations have alfresco showers (playfully dubbed secret gardens).
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 May 2026
Verb
  • The brothers were each two years apart in age, but younger siblings were never babied; Nick recalled being on the receiving end of numerous pummelings by his older brothers.
    Andrew Greif, NBC news, 30 Jan. 2026
  • Each new piece was crafted to be simple, functional, and beautiful, giving parents peace of mind and babies a nurturing space to grow.
    Suzanne Blake, MSNBC Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • That alone, to me, raises questions.
    Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2026
  • The governing body said the show would support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which is raising $100 million to help children access education and soccer.
    ABC News, ABC News, 14 May 2026
Verb
  • Lawyer Steve Oshins told Inside Wealth that QSBS laws and other tax proposals aimed at the wealthy encourage high earners to move to other states.
    Hayley Cuccinello, CNBC, 8 May 2026
  • This easy London broil recipe relies on a savory marinade with a small amount of baking soda to help tenderize the meat and encourage browning.
    Zaynab Issa, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 May 2026
Verb
  • These are not women who just help get their grandkids ready for school in the morning or watch them on a Saturday night; these are women who have chosen to become parents again, sparing their grandchildren from life in the foster system.
    Casey Cep, New Yorker, 9 May 2026
  • With Casey Schmitt at third and Devers at first with no outs, Schmitt broke for home on a grounder to third by Matt Chapman and was thrown out at the plate with feet to spare.
    Justice delos Santos, Mercury News, 9 May 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nurse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nurse. Accessed 16 May. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on nurse

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

More from Merriam-Webster