nestle

verb

nes·​tle ˈne-səl 

nestled; nestling ˈne-s(ə-)liŋ 

intransitive verb

1

archaic : nest sense 1

2

: to settle snugly or comfortably

3

: to lie in an inconspicuous or sheltered manner

transitive verb

1

: to settle, shelter, or house in or as if in a nest

… the children were nestled all snug in their beds …

—Clement Moore

2

: to press closely and affectionately

nestles a kitten in her arms

nestler

ˈne-s(ə-)lər 

noun

Synonyms of nestle

• snuggle
• cuddle
• nuzzle

Examples of nestle in a Sentence

He nestled his head against his mother's shoulder.

She carefully nestled the hamster into its cage.

The fly ball nestled into the outfielder's glove.

Recent Examples on the Web

Visitors need to take a boat or hike down a steep trail to reach the cove, nestled away from crowds. —Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 30 Apr. 2026

In one clip, Fever can be seen taking the Festiva up a parking garage ramp and nestling it between a Jeep and a sports car. —Mack Degeurin, Popular Science, 30 Apr. 2026

Now, it’s ultimately destined to be just another thumbnail on a streamer, algorithmically nestled between a NatGeo doc on penguins and either a Star Wars or a Marvel franchise entry. —David Fear, Rolling Stone, 29 Apr. 2026

The campsites are nestled in a shady valley about a half-mile walk from the ferry port. —Tribune News Service, Baltimore Sun, 29 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English nestlian, from nest

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

Rhymes for nestle

• cresol
• decile
• pestle
• sessile
• trestle
• vessel
• wessel
• wrestle
• subsessile

Kids Definition

nestle

verb

nes·​tle ˈnes-əl 

nestled; nestling -(ə-)liŋ 

1

: to lie close and snug : cuddle

2

: to settle as if in a nest

nestler

-(ə-)lər 

noun