as in infant
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as in nursing
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
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of suckling
Aisha Muharrar, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Oct. 2025
Their texture and design mimics a nipple, so babies respond well to the familiar suckling apparatus.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2025
John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 24 Nov. 2025
Those people under him are suckling on his piggly-wiggly titties.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for suckling
Noun
The quiet, rhythmic suckling that babies do when feeding.
—Aisha Muharrar, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Oct. 2025
Their texture and design mimics a nipple, so babies respond well to the familiar suckling apparatus.
—Bestreviews, Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2025
Verb
The pups have the epicurean delight of suckling one of the highest fat-content milks in the animal kingdom.
—John Metcalfe, Mercury News, 24 Nov. 2025
Those people under him are suckling on his piggly-wiggly titties.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 10 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for suckling
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suckling
Noun
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Abbott Laboratories must pay $53 million in compensatory damages in four cases in which Chicago-area babies developed a dangerous intestinal disease after consuming the company’s formula for premature infants, a Cook County jury decided Thursday evening.—
Lisa Schencker,
Chicago Tribune,
9 Apr. 2026
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So far, Hochul, who is up for reelection this fall, has declined to raise taxes on the wealthy, to set up the type of revenue raiser that could be needed, if not to keep the program going, then to expand it to infants as young as six weeks old, as Mamdani promised as a candidate.—
Josephine Stratman,
New York Daily News,
9 Apr. 2026
Verb
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James, however, re-entered the Lakers’ lineup after sitting out Tuesday night’s blowout loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder while nursing his left foot to remain fresh himself.—
Benjamin Royer,
Oc Register,
10 Apr. 2026
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He was loaded onto a truck and transported to SeaWorld Orlando, where staff would spend the next two months nursing him back to health.—
Ryan Brennan
April 9,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The final conversation of the episode really brings us full circle when Nia gets home from a long day in the car with a newborn who won’t nurse.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
9 Apr. 2026
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Last year, even though the nation's population as a whole is larger, there were only 3,606,400 newborns.—
Brian Mann,
NPR,
9 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The connection between the films goes far beyond the presence of a foundling.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
27 Mar. 2026
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When Heathcliff, a foundling, discovers that Cathy Earnshaw, the daughter of the impoverished Yorkshire lord who’s taken him in, has played a prank on him by putting eggs in his beds to be crushed, the boy plunges his fingers into the slippery puddle of yolk and albumen left behind.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Number two, what a little time and compassion can do for neonates and orphans.—
Jen Reeder,
Forbes.com,
15 Jan. 2026
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Among these studies, 12 post-approval studies included 3,646 neonates, newborns, infants and children.—
Dr. Jade Cobern,
ABC News,
18 Sep. 2025
Noun
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The hat is the brainchild of Dali; Jean Schlumberger creates cherub pins that will be immortalized in a Picasso portrait.—
Laird Borrelli-Persson,
Vogue,
28 Mar. 2026
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There is a photo, too, of the doll itself, a nude little cherub packaged in a box designed to look like both a manger and an illuminated Bible.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Suckling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suckling. Accessed 13 Apr. 2026.
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