nuzzling

Definition of nuzzlingnext
present participle of nuzzle
as in snuggling
to lie close newborn puppies nuzzling against their mother to stay warm

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

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 nuzzling In the end, an Australian photographer claimed the top prize for capturing a tender moment of elephant seal pups nuzzling in a rockpool. Alexandra Banner, CNN Money, 27 Feb. 2026 The video shows his two pet dogs, with a mutt named Thunder in the lead, nuzzling open a sliding door to get outside into the yard. CBS News, 10 Dec. 2025 The Saint Bernards gently lie down beside him, licking and nuzzling him affectionately. Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nuzzling
Verb
  • Today's Jenna Bush Hager celebrated the siblings’ first moments together with a trio of snapshots on her Instagram account, showing Mila and Poppy peering into Hal’s bassinet and snuggling up in the hospital bed alongside their mom and the newborn.
    Kate Hogan, PEOPLE, 16 Apr. 2026
  • The photos featured her eating pancakes for breakfast, snuggling with her dog, going on a shopping spree, blowing out her birthday candles and having dinner with her boyfriend.
    Lori A Bashian, FOXNews.com, 1 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • On the actor’s Instagram Stories over the weekend and reshared by fan sites, Bomer is seen in snaps holding an otter, cradling a sloth and cuddling a baby kangaroo, aka a joey.
    Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 14 Apr. 2026
  • In a video captured on March 11, Punch, the baby macaque, is spotted cuddling up with another macaque in the Ishikawa City Zoo Monkey Mountain enclosure.
    Greta Cross, USA Today, 20 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • The metal tip was nestling against the uppermost layer of his nail.
    Kate Crane, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2026
  • 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nuzzling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nuzzling. Accessed 22 Apr. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on nuzzling

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