See the Dictionary Definition 
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cradled
Verb
-
The Basque team welcomed a Barcelona squad featuring Lionel Messi, Neymar, Luis Suarez, Andres Iniesta and Xavi to their Anoeta stadium in January 2015, scored an early goal and clung on for dear life against the soon-to-be treble winners.—
Patrick Boyland,
New York Times,
25 Apr. 2026 -
The 93-year-old president has clung to power since 1982, in a country where 43% of the population lives in poverty.—
Claudio Lavanga,
NBC news,
23 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Along the way, the newshound nurtured a personal passion for writing poetry as an outlet for coping with homesickness and stress.—
Catharine Kaufman,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
24 Apr. 2026
-
That willingness to share comes from the safe space that Howard Stern has built and nurtured.—
Malina Saval,
Rolling Stone,
16 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Investigators later learned Hissom and her male passenger, who was wounded, were caught in a crossfire as a group of four or five men grabbed weapons from a vehicle and began firing at each other.—
Darrell Smith,
Sacbee.com,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Aristide then allegedly charged at his brother, grabbed him by the neck and forced him to the ground, according to the report.—
Mauricio Maldonado,
CBS News,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Medieval schoolmen worrying over Aristotle could be pedants; so could cultivated female salonnières in seventeenth-century Paris.—
Clare Bucknell,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Israel cultivated a close relationship with Azerbaijan shortly after its independence, with the duo soon becoming one of each other’s most important allies.—
Brady Knox,
The Washington Examiner,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
The same gloved hand that had reached through the broken window clamped around her calf.—
Carly Tagen-Dye,
PEOPLE,
15 Apr. 2026
-
Needing a stop, Aaron Gordon clamped De’Aaron Fox to force an air-ball at the shot clock buzzer.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
4 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
According to the complaint, Doe attended the private Owings Mills boarding school from 1975 through her graduation in 1987.—
Lexi Nicklaus,
Baltimore Sun,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Modern operations consultancy Quail Group notes that in many organizations, operational systems drift toward rewarding visible activity, the messages sent, meetings attended, and tasks moved, while the deeper aim of meaningful outcomes becomes less prominent in day‑to‑day execution.—
Matt Emma,
USA Today,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
While the other candidates pressed their palms against the podiums, ready to pounce on every question, Becerra clasped his hands like an altar boy.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Apr. 2026
-
Another girl, Donna Jo, apparently naked on a back-yard lawn, holds several small, round pieces of fruit, still on their leafy branch, clasped to her chest like a trophy.—
Vince Aletti,
New Yorker,
18 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
For years the owner, now 66, has watched tape, done his own player evaluations and sent observations and suggestions to DeCosta, mostly about players who might be available in later rounds — without exerting any actual decision-making power.—
Michael Silver,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
No quarterback will be watched more than Josh Hoover, who takes over for Heisman Trophy winner Fernando Mendoza at defending national champion Indiana.—
Eric Olson,
Chicago Tribune,
27 Apr. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Cradled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cradled. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
