1
as in healing
to attend to the needs and comforts of
willingly lent a hand to nurse his grandmother in her final years, helping her get from one room to the other and making sure she was warm
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in suckling
to give milk to from the breast
a new mother's decision to nurse her baby
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3
as in having
to keep in one's mind or heart
he continues to nurse a tender affection for his first girlfriend
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4
as in spoiling
to treat with great or excessive care
nursed his sprained ankle for the rest of the week
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5
as in raising
to bring to maturity through care and education
as foster parents they accepted and nursed 16 needy children over the years
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6
as in promoting
to help the growth or development of
her teachers did much to nurse her literary talent
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7
as in conserving
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of nursing
One possibility is if the pups start developing teeth and nursing the puppies is too painful.
—
Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 4 Jan. 2026
On a minutes restriction, merely two games removed from nursing an extended illness absence, the former Knicks first-round pick finished with four points and eight rebounds on one-of-eight shooting from the field in 17 minutes of play.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2026
Bornauw and Ilia Gruev were nursing what Farke called cramp before their substitutions.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Tomorrow morning, New Yorkers across the five boroughs will be nursing their hangovers, mumbling bacon, egg, and cheese orders—and welcoming a new mayor.
—Jocelyn Silver, Vogue, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nursing
Dr. John De Jong, Boston Herald, 4 Jan. 2026
On a minutes restriction, merely two games removed from nursing an extended illness absence, the former Knicks first-round pick finished with four points and eight rebounds on one-of-eight shooting from the field in 17 minutes of play.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2026
Bornauw and Ilia Gruev were nursing what Farke called cramp before their substitutions.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
Tomorrow morning, New Yorkers across the five boroughs will be nursing their hangovers, mumbling bacon, egg, and cheese orders—and welcoming a new mayor.
—Jocelyn Silver, Vogue, 31 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for nursing
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nursing
Verb
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Keep it to a minimum so the tree can focus on its foliage rather than healing its wounds.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
26 Jan. 2026
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People have begun to donate food and water, and the community supports each other, especially protesters who have healing professions like therapists, Stauffer said.—
Camryn Dadey,
Sacbee.com,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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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
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Those people under him are suckling on his piggly-wiggly titties.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The Minnesota Timberwolves are not having a good week.—
Bryan Toporek,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
-
Executive Director of the Massachusetts Fiscal Alliance Paul Craney wasn’t having it, saying high utility bills in Massachusetts are the fault of Healey’s policies and the state’s NetZero by 2050 climate mandate, which favors solar, wind and battery power over natural gas.—
Boston Herald editorial staff,
Boston Herald,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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While photography was strictly off limits in certain creative hubs to avoid spoiling unannounced figurines currently in development, the atmosphere on-site remained incredibly jovial.—
Robert Lang,
Deadline,
23 Jan. 2026
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Winter Storm Fern is already spoiling weekend travel plans for Charlotte airport passengers, with a forecast of snow, sleet, and freezing rain looming over the state.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The central bank kept the benchmark interest rate steady in a split 8-1 decision, after raising it to the highest level in 30 years in December, ahead of snap polls that could see Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi sharpen her advocacy for monetary easing and fiscal support.—
Lim Hui Jie,
CNBC,
23 Jan. 2026
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There’s an absent father and a clueless, neglectful mother but the five Gilbert children — Lydia, Hugo, Annabel, Jeremy and Rosalind — are essentially raising themselves in an English country house of secret passages and worrying infestations.—
Chris Hewitt,
Boston Herald,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The build has felt oddly subdued for much of the month, largely because the focus shifted toward promoting the quarterly Peacock special instead.—
Rob Wolkenbrod,
Forbes.com,
27 Jan. 2026
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The conversations around politics were largely unfolding at panels, such as the American Civil Liberties Union event attended by DuVernay, and as the stars were promoting their films on red carpets ahead of their premieres.—
Rebecca Keegan,
NBC news,
26 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Recycling nationwide is responsible for more than 680,000 jobs, conserving resources, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to climate change by keeping more than 190 million metric tons of carbon dioxide out of the air, according to the EPA.—
Tara Molina,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
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Where the ponderous fire-roads invited a slow, deliberate pace to space our kidneys, the combination of hilly terrain and a slick surface demanded a more extemporaneous approach to conserving momentum.—
Byron Hurd,
The Drive,
22 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Really, the album is about tiring of mothering men who are great in bed but lack crucial social skills.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Nursing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nursing. Accessed 28 Jan. 2026.
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