wadding 1 of 2

Definition of waddingnext
as in filling
soft material that is used to fill the hollow parts of something the last step is to fill the pillow with wadding and stitch it closed

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wadding

2 of 2

verb

present participle of wad
as in rolling
to form into a round compact mass she wadded up the paper and threw it in the wastebasket took the paper off the straw and wadded it up

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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 wadding
Noun
Lightweight knitwear, raw-edge brocades, stiff satin, dark sequins, 3D textural manipulations and exposed wadding will also feature in the collection. Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 16 Jan. 2026 The cellulosic cattail fiber is spun into wadding with a 20 percent binder currently made from a biodegradable poly filament, as used to secure those fibers together. Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 24 Nov. 2025 The wadding that created those poofy numbers is made of sustainable wool, for example. Laird Borrelli-Persson, Vogue, 1 Feb. 2023 The kit comes with everything your astronaut friend needs, except for engines and recovery wadding. Matt Jancer, Wired, 17 Nov. 2021 Dummy bullets had been replaced with cardboard wadding, but a portion from one of the dummy bullets had broken off and remained in the gun. Melissa Mahtani, CNN, 25 Oct. 2021 Even blanks can eject hot gases and paper or plastic wadding from the barrel that can be lethal at close range. CBS News, 23 Oct. 2021 However, even blanks can eject hot gases and paper or plastic wadding from the barrel that can be lethal at close range. Arkansas Online, 23 Oct. 2021 In Hexum’s case, for instance, the wadding used to hold the gunpowder in place shot out and the impact fractured his skull, sending bone fragments into his brain. Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz, 22 Oct. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wadding
Noun
  • Holland had cooked the vegetarian and chicken fillings for the dumplings, minced almost to a paste, three nights earlier, and purchased enough dumpling wrapper packs from the grocery store to make 500 in total.
    Miguel Otárola, Denver Post, 26 Feb. 2026
  • Slap the crust in a cast iron skillet and fill it up with the comforting chicken filling!
    Kimberly Holland, Southern Living, 25 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Spare your jeans from puddles (and add some more interest) by rolling the hems.
    Christina Perrier, InStyle, 23 Feb. 2026
  • The star freshman kept rolling, earning a friendly bounce on a 3-pointer from the corner to set the tone for the second half.
    Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 22 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • Compression packing cubes are, hands down, the most important accessory in my carry-on-only routine.
    Kayla Kitts, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2026
  • The poster of the Big East regular-season championship trophy that sits on an easel courtside at UConn’s practice facility was battered, held together by a roll’s worth of clear packing tape at the start of the week.
    Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 20 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • That was followed by Balos Lagoon in Kissamos, Greece, Eagle Beach in Aruba, and Praia da Falésia in Algarve, Portugal, rounding out the top five.
    Michael Cappetta, Travel + Leisure, 22 Feb. 2026
  • But Shaw held up after rounding third and went back to the bag as second baseman Luis Arraez threw home.
    Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 22 Feb. 2026
Noun
  • The players reportedly enjoyed more than $150,000 in champagne and helped get the fans around them their fill of the bubbly.
    Ryan Gaydos, FOXNews.com, 24 Feb. 2026
  • The Raptors could use Walter getting to the high 30s from deep, but his low-usage, fill-the-gaps game is exactly what is needed around the likes of Brandon Ingram, Barrett and Barnes, who are all used to having the ball.
    Eric Koreen, New York Times, 23 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Both teams sport sinker-balling lefties with great track records as their second in command.
    Eno Sarris, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
  • These are the romance movies that lean into big emotions, meaningful connections, and the kind of love that lingers long after the credits roll — and will likely leave you balling your eyes out.
    Ryan Brennan, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2026
Noun
  • Pack some moleskin padding into your bag ahead of time.
    Amelia McBride, Travel + Leisure, 27 Feb. 2026
  • The update includes more padding around some icons and notifications, as well as sliders in the control center menu that look optimized for touch.
    Bloomberg, Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Wadding.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wadding. Accessed 1 Mar. 2026.

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