as in wrapping
to wrap (someone, especially a baby) tightly with a blanket, pieces of cloth, etc.
He swaddled the baby in a blanket.
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Recent Examples of swaddling
Instead, the convent’s nine bookable guest rooms are more akin to sleeping over at your grandmother’s house, swaddling you in a familiar, matronly feeling of being watched over and cared for from a distance.
—
Hannah Towey, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Feb. 2026
The veteran sideline reporter and member of FOX Sports’ A-Team braved the freezing temperature in Philly by swaddling herself in a capacious coat, which drew comparisons to a diverse array of notorious icons of warmth including Cruella De Ville, Jon Snow, emus, mob wives, pimps, and Ric Flair.
—Perrie Samotin, Glamour, 14 Jan. 2026
The twinkling of elaborate Christmas lights swaddling a nearby Louis Vuitton store underscored the point.
—Bruce Handy, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Police said that minutes later, Karschnick is seen swaddling the baby and taking her out of the crib, but the infant continues crying and screaming, and her arm looks limp, per the complaint cited by WBAY.
—Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
Hannah Towey, Condé Nast Traveler, 15 Feb. 2026
The veteran sideline reporter and member of FOX Sports’ A-Team braved the freezing temperature in Philly by swaddling herself in a capacious coat, which drew comparisons to a diverse array of notorious icons of warmth including Cruella De Ville, Jon Snow, emus, mob wives, pimps, and Ric Flair.
—Perrie Samotin, Glamour, 14 Jan. 2026
The twinkling of elaborate Christmas lights swaddling a nearby Louis Vuitton store underscored the point.
—Bruce Handy, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025
Police said that minutes later, Karschnick is seen swaddling the baby and taking her out of the crib, but the infant continues crying and screaming, and her arm looks limp, per the complaint cited by WBAY.
—Nicole Acosta, PEOPLE, 27 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for swaddling
Verb
-
Scandal ran for seven seasons, wrapping in April 2018.—
Starr Rocque,
PEOPLE,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Cut to a massive stadium packed with fans, and Pepsi logos, and a hilarious re-creation of the Coldplay kiss-cam fiasco as the male bear hugs his pop paramour from behind, wrapping his arms around her as the both hold cans.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
30 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
The footage subsequently shows the suspect grabbing leaves from the front yard and draping them over the camera lens to avoid further detection.—
Wesley Stenzel,
Entertainment Weekly,
10 Feb. 2026
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If more privacy is the goal though, try draping airy textiles like a silk scarf or a lace tablecloth to achieve a more closed-off situation.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Swaddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/swaddling. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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