nuzzling

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 West begins nuzzling her, and the two kiss. Marlow Stern, Variety, 20 May 2026 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
  • In one clip obtained by People at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2025, Parker is seen snuggling up to a puppy when Cooper approaches them.
    Giovana Gelhoren, InStyle, 16 July 2026
  • McLaughlin-Levrone shared more photos of her and her husband snuggling with Savannah on her Instagram Stories.
    Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026
Verb
  • The first photo depicted Theron, Jackson, and August cuddling up on a yacht, while the three of them posed for selfies in the next two slides.
    Hannah Malach, InStyle, 15 July 2026
  • 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
Verb
  • Game by game, San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama is nestling himself into historical statistical company alongside some of the most vaunted NBA names ever.
    Devon Henderson, New York Times, 19 May 2026
  • In one clip, Fever can be seen taking the Festiva up a parking garage ramp and nestling it between a Jeep and a sports car.
    Mack DeGeurin, Popular Science, 30 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Nuzzling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nuzzling. Accessed 4 Aug. 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