as in loading
to place a weight or burden on
to the social worker it seemed as though her supervisor had once again saddled her with a truly hopeless case
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Recent Examples of saddling
Court records from Taste of Belgium’s bankruptcy reveal its sales slumped by nearly a fifth in the last two years, saddling the popular eatery with more than $6 million in debts.
—
Alexander Coolidge, Cincinnati Enquirer, 22 Jan. 2026
In Colorado, Connecticut, and Maine, for example, new laws aim to increase transparency and prevent utilities from saddling customers with questionable costs—such as trade-association membership dues, donations to interest groups, advertising, and legal fees from rate cases.
—Nick Bowlin, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
In an industry generally notorious for denying claims while saddling patients with medical debt, United had a reputation for denying more than most.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 15 Nov. 2025
That risk is driving up the cost of home insurance in the middle of the country, saddling average Americans with huge bills.
—Rebecca Hersher, NPR, 13 Nov. 2025
Once again, Derek Hough was a little bit of a buzzkill, saddling Richter with another 6.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2025
The core cast are forgettable, but the game pulls tricks from older-era Call of Duty titles like Modern Warfare and Black Ops by saddling players with alternating POVs of the events just long enough to learn someone’s name before you’re forced to live out their demise.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2025
Two new Mercedes EVs coming to USA After initially saddling its EVs with confusing names like EQE sedan and EQE SUV, Mercedes is moving its electric vehicles to familiar model names.
—Mark Phelan, Freep.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Some hospitals owned by private-equity firms sell the land under their buildings, enriching the owners but saddling the facilities with higher rent costs.
—Gretchen Morgenson, NBC news, 24 Sep. 2025
Alexander Coolidge, Cincinnati Enquirer, 22 Jan. 2026
In Colorado, Connecticut, and Maine, for example, new laws aim to increase transparency and prevent utilities from saddling customers with questionable costs—such as trade-association membership dues, donations to interest groups, advertising, and legal fees from rate cases.
—Nick Bowlin, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
In an industry generally notorious for denying claims while saddling patients with medical debt, United had a reputation for denying more than most.
—Margaret Talbot, New Yorker, 15 Nov. 2025
That risk is driving up the cost of home insurance in the middle of the country, saddling average Americans with huge bills.
—Rebecca Hersher, NPR, 13 Nov. 2025
Once again, Derek Hough was a little bit of a buzzkill, saddling Richter with another 6.
—Katie Campione, Deadline, 21 Oct. 2025
The core cast are forgettable, but the game pulls tricks from older-era Call of Duty titles like Modern Warfare and Black Ops by saddling players with alternating POVs of the events just long enough to learn someone’s name before you’re forced to live out their demise.
—Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 9 Oct. 2025
Two new Mercedes EVs coming to USA After initially saddling its EVs with confusing names like EQE sedan and EQE SUV, Mercedes is moving its electric vehicles to familiar model names.
—Mark Phelan, Freep.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Some hospitals owned by private-equity firms sell the land under their buildings, enriching the owners but saddling the facilities with higher rent costs.
—Gretchen Morgenson, NBC news, 24 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for saddling
Verb
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Adding 1/2 cup to your washer drum before loading in dirty laundry will help boost the cleaning properties of your detergent.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
17 Jan. 2026
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Caron added that the crew member involved was reportedly assisting ground staff by loading items as an extra set of hands and may have been left unaccounted for when the doors closed.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
14 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The war is burdening the not only the current Russian economy but its future prospects, the report says.—
Brad Lendon,
CNN Money,
28 Jan. 2026
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Such subsidies drive up demand, and therefore costs, while also burdening taxpayers.—
Judge Glock,
Washington Post,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Étouffée, made from the house Cajun seasoning blend simmered into a rich, dark sauce and served over white rice with a choice of shrimp or crawfish and a dinner salad, is filling without needing to be rushed.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
30 Jan. 2026
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Overseeing the task of filling those pages is Sarah Conway, 39, a Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist who joined the Reader as the new editor-in-chief in January.—
Robert Channick,
Chicago Tribune,
30 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Saddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/saddling. Accessed 5 Feb. 2026.
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