suckling 1 of 2

noun

Definition of sucklingnext
as in infant

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

suckling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of suckle
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

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 suckling
Noun
Seafood is the underrated star here—from sautéed squid to amêijoas à bulhão pato—but be sure to try the Segovian suckling pig or the 50‑day aged Mirandesa‑style ribeye, priced by weight. — Lewis Nunn, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026 In Spain, the family of King Felipe and Queen Letizia are thought to indulge in a spread including cochinillo (roasted suckling pig), roast lamb, seafood and turrón, a traditional Spanish nougat confection which includes almonds, egg whites, honey and sugar. — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 22 Dec. 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
  1. infant
  2. nursing
  3. newborn
  4. foundling
  5. neonate
  6. cherub
Noun
  • On infant formula, Makary convened the world’s leading experts to modernize and expand the ingredient lists—called monographs—that the agency uses to regulate the products.
    — Avik Roy, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026
  • One reason for the decrease may be that parents have substantial control over what infants and toddlers eat.
    — Katia Hetter, CNN Money, 22 July 2026
Definition of infant
Verb
  • The more acute need, especially with Brandon Woodruff done for the season and Kyle Harrison nursing a forearm issue, is within the rotation.
    — Andy McCullough, New York Times, 22 July 2026
  • Bordelon first learned about nursing through his aunt, who was a nurse.
    — Andrea Hsu, NPR, 21 July 2026
Definition of nursing
Noun
  • For years, the identity of the newborn was unknown, until genetic genealogy linked the child to Ritchey in 2019, leading to her arrest.
    — Alexandra Schonfeld, PEOPLE, 20 July 2026
  • Instead, starting later this year, the muscle-wasting disease will be added to the panel of diseases that all newborns are tested for, with complete coverage expected next year.
    — Andrew Joseph, STAT, 20 July 2026
Definition of newborn
Noun
  • 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
Definition of foundling
Noun
  • Males guard the eggs and newborn frogs, called neonates.
    — Ana V. Longo, The Conversation, 24 June 2026
  • There have been publications about nicotine transmission and neonates after blood transfusion.
    — Torie Bosch, STAT, 1 June 2026
Definition of neonate
Noun
  • Gordon is cherub-faced, with low affect, speaks in a laconic and analytic style, and has a wry and elusive smile.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 July 2026
  • 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
Definition of cherub

Browse Nearby Words

suckles
suckling
sucklings
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Suckling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suckling. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on suckling

Nglish: Translation of suckling for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about suckling

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of parochial

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

Every Letter Is Silent, Sometimes: A-Z List of Examples
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All