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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of suckle
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.
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Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 13 Feb. 2025
Joan jumped on her leg in an attempt to get some and started to suckle the cheese.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for suckle
Jamie Ducharme, TIME, 13 Feb. 2025
Joan jumped on her leg in an attempt to get some and started to suckle the cheese.
—Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
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
See All Example Sentences for suckle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suckle
Verb
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With backup Marcus Mariota also nursing a lower leg strain, quarterbacks Josh Johnson and Sam Hartman will handle the offense for Washington.—
Kyle Hightower,
Baltimore Sun,
6 Aug. 2025
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Peter Phillips, the son of Britain’s Princess Anne and eldest grandchild of the late Queen Elizabeth II, announced his engagement to nurse Harriet Sperling on Friday.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
1 Aug. 2025
Verb
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People who are pregnant or breastfeeding should consult a healthcare provider before using turmeric on the skin or in supplements, as there is not enough evidence to prove its safety in these groups.—
Cristina Mutchler,
Verywell Health,
7 Aug. 2025
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Over 40% of pregnant and breastfeeding women are severely malnourished, while nearly one in five children under the age of five in Gaza City is acutely malnourished.—
Guy Davies,
ABC News,
29 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Suckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suckle. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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