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
Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
The quiet, rhythmic suckling that babies do when feeding.
—Aisha Muharrar, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Oct. 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
As the deck crew struggles to keep their head above water, Josh spends two days on a cochinillo, a Spanish-style suckling pig.
—Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 2 Dec. 2025
The quiet, rhythmic suckling that babies do when feeding.
—Aisha Muharrar, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Oct. 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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In North Carolina, for example, infant classrooms generally require one teacher for every five babies.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
11 June 2026
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During the final weeks of her life, the infant was taken off the top of the transplant list twice due to complications related to her VSD.—
Zoey Lyttle,
PEOPLE,
10 June 2026
Verb
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Thomas Tuchel heads into the World Cup with Bukayo Saka nursing an Achilles issue that forced him to withdraw from England’s March international squad and then miss a month of club football before helping Arsenal win their first Premier League title in 22 years.—
Art de Roché,
New York Times,
11 June 2026
-
Perez is nursing a sore right thumb.—
Jaylon Thompson,
Kansas City Star,
7 June 2026
Noun
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The agency notes that the wipes are predominantly used on newborns, infants, and young children, who are particularly vulnerable to infections due to their immature immune systems.—
Michele Laufik,
Martha Stewart,
8 June 2026
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After this, the team came to the conclusion that the village needed a women’s health center where mothers and newborns could stay for up to 72 hours.—
Imani Cruzen,
Twin Cities,
7 June 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
-
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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There have been publications about nicotine transmission and neonates after blood transfusion.—
Torie Bosch,
STAT,
1 June 2026
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For studies measuring neonates’ looking time at faces, this included 667 infants, half of them boys and half of them girls.—
Lise Eliot,
The Conversation,
20 Apr. 2026
Noun
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In Wood’s ritzy dressing room worthy of Elizabeth Taylor, a cherub hangs overhead, while a leap of ceramic leopards prowls the lounge.—
Zoey Goto,
Architectural Digest,
6 May 2026
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With its polished English oak paneling and ornate Louis XIV-style wrought-iron balustrades presided over by a torch-wielding bronze cherub, the opulent atrium is remembered by historians as both the main thoroughfare and architectural crown jewel of the legendary liner.—
Jordan Runtagh,
PEOPLE,
20 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Suckling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suckling. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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