as in to nurse
to give milk to from the breast
the image of a mother suckling her babe is a standard artistic symbol of maternal love and nurturing
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of suckle
After the birth, the infant was showing strong signs of suckling, and zoo staff thought that Kianga was providing excellent care, the release states.
—
Grant Lancaster, arkansasonline.com, 7 Sep. 2024
But the government men botched their job: rather than dying, the twins were soon discovered by a she-wolf, who suckled them back to health.
—Michael Fontaine, Foreign Affairs, 15 Feb. 2016
The insects will have enough time to get used to their new home and then hopefully mate and burrow down to suckle at the roots of hazel trees.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 31 May 2024
The same amphibian recently discussed in Science, for example, also allows its babies to eat some of its skin, and some baby frogs seem to suckle in a similar way from their parents.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for suckle
Grant Lancaster, arkansasonline.com, 7 Sep. 2024
But the government men botched their job: rather than dying, the twins were soon discovered by a she-wolf, who suckled them back to health.
—Michael Fontaine, Foreign Affairs, 15 Feb. 2016
The insects will have enough time to get used to their new home and then hopefully mate and burrow down to suckle at the roots of hazel trees.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 31 May 2024
The same amphibian recently discussed in Science, for example, also allows its babies to eat some of its skin, and some baby frogs seem to suckle in a similar way from their parents.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 13 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for suckle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suckle
Verb
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Harvey is nursing a right teres major strain and Long is dealing with left elbow inflammation.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
19 Apr. 2025
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New England Patriots Needs: RB, WR, O-line, OLB Penn State edge Abdul Carter: If Carter was not nursing a shoulder injury he would have been taken higher.—
Omar Kelly,
Miami Herald,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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There is insufficient safety data on creatine supplementation during pregnancy or breastfeeding to recommend it.—
Mary Choy,
Verywell Health,
18 Apr. 2025
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Given the prevalence of waterborne illness in the community, breastfeeding can significantly improve the health of a baby, in addition to giving them the critical nutrients that breastmilk contains.—
Forbes.com,
Forbes.com,
17 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Suckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suckle. Accessed 3 May. 2025.
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