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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
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 suckle
The other two are named Romulus and Remus, after the mythical founders of Rome said to have been suckled by a she-wolf as infants.
—
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
What are the neurons that make muscles ache and fatigue, or trigger migraines, or cause milk to flow in a mother’s breast when her baby suckles?
—Ariel Bleicher, Quanta Magazine, 16 Apr. 2025
The older pair are named Romulus and Remus after the mythological founders of Rome, who are traditionally depicted as being suckled by a she-wolf.
—Jon Schlosberg, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2025
Avoiding them is all but impossible in a world where water supplies are tainted and babies suckle on plastic bottles from their earliest days on earth.
—Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for suckle
Michael Hiltzik, Los Angeles Times, 24 Apr. 2025
What are the neurons that make muscles ache and fatigue, or trigger migraines, or cause milk to flow in a mother’s breast when her baby suckles?
—Ariel Bleicher, Quanta Magazine, 16 Apr. 2025
The older pair are named Romulus and Remus after the mythological founders of Rome, who are traditionally depicted as being suckled by a she-wolf.
—Jon Schlosberg, ABC News, 7 Apr. 2025
Avoiding them is all but impossible in a world where water supplies are tainted and babies suckle on plastic bottles from their earliest days on earth.
—Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 13 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for suckle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suckle
Verb
-
The Rams nursed a slim three-point lead when both teams headed to their respective locker rooms at the end of the second quarter.—
Chantz Martin,
FOXNews.com,
11 Jan. 2026
-
Long before he was spotted in the tunnel bent over to nurse his latest injury, Davis attempted to play through the injury.—
Mike Curtis,
Dallas Morning News,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
On the one hand, breastfeeding sparks a surge of lovey-dovey oxytocin, a feel-good hormone released with skin-to-skin contact; but on the other hand, producing breastmilk hinges on a hefty amount of prolactin, a hormone that keeps your estrogen and progesterone levels low, Dr. Oreck says.—
Erica Sloan,
SELF,
15 Jan. 2026
-
Chromium is also safer for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.—
Megan Nunn,
Verywell Health,
14 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Suckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suckle. Accessed 27 Jan. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
