coddling 1 of 2

noun

as in pampering

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coddling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of coddle
1
as in boiling
to cook in a liquid heated to the point that it gives off steam a hearty, traditional breakfast that included coddled eggs

Synonyms & Similar Words
2
as in spoiling
to treat with great or excessive care accused the judiciary of coddling criminals

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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 coddling
Noun
But it's been hard as a journalist to watch the wall-to-wall coddling of one of the most controversial figures of the past decade. — Matt Calkins Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026 The staff here are available to attend to any needs but step back to give you space and privacy—so don’t expect always-on coddling. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Sep. 2026 Scapicchio rhetorically asked of the Democrats’ continuing pampering and coddling of this monster Proctor. — Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 26 Apr. 2026 In 2023, after Silicon Valley Bank and other institutions failed and were rescued by the Fed and other government institutions, Warsh blamed the episode on the Fed's coddling of the economy. — Matt Peterson, CNBC, 21 Apr. 2026 And the coddling doesn’t stop there. — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 12 Mar. 2026 The popularity and success of the Chiefs prior to the 2025 Super Bowl, led to countless complaints of favorable officiating and League coddling from disgruntled fans and hot take pundits. — Emil Steiner, Forbes.com, 30 Jan. 2026 The intense coddling and dysfunction within the family come to a head at the end of the show opener when a drunken Paul crashes a boat, killing his best friend’s girlfriend, Mallory (Madeline Popovich), and injuring all on board. — Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 15 Oct. 2025 Avoid over-coddling; instead, use play, treats, and touch to build confidence. — Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
Verb
League brass can keep coddling bitter media figures, or stand up for the fans paying for tickets. — Alejandro Avila Outkick, FOXNews.com, 9 Oct. 2026 The gentle, foaming elixir feels soft on skin, rinsing away dirt and makeup while hydrating and coddling with flaxseed oil. — Elizabeth Siegel, Allure, 17 Sep. 2026 This lifestyle caused many citizens to accuse the military of coddling the enemy. — Helaine Williams, Arkansas Online, 20 June 2026 Viewed harshly, Hacks is less a great Hollywood comedy than a deeply coddling fantasy, but there’s also a softer, more interesting way to read it. — Nicholas Quah, Vulture, 29 May 2026 This is why Maryland, along with policymakers everywhere, should think carefully about the current approach of coddling parents and children. — Torrey Snow, Baltimore Sun, 27 May 2026 Accordingly, accusations of coddling Communists threatened that relationship. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 Mar. 2026 Leisure bred laziness; coddling meant spoiling. — Alexandra Schwartz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026 His whole combo — coddling yet revering — makes clear how this hopeless estate chugged along for so long. — Theater Critic, San Francisco Chronicle, 5 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coddling
  1. pampering
  2. boiling
  3. spoiling
  4. babying
  5. indulging
  6. nursing
Noun
  • Ho-seok has yet to be interviewed for the documentary, and Ye-ji, who treats her subjects as friends, hopes that a weekend of pampering will entice him to coöperate.
    — E. Tammy Kim, New Yorker, 12 Oct. 2026
  • The idea of motorsport circuits as pampering, family-friendly environments has long been anathema to their nature.
    — Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of pampering
Verb
  • Some carts were stacked high with metal steamers, while others held vats of boiling water to blanch tender stalks of gai lan.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 16 Oct. 2026
  • Residents and businesses in South Fulton, Fairburn, Union City, Chattahoochee Hills and Palmetto can use tap water without boiling it after Atlanta officials lifted the boil water advisory Wednesday morning.
    — CBS News Atlanta Digital Team, CBS News, 14 Oct. 2026
Definition of boiling
Verb
  • In Season Two, the couple dealt with making the relationship work, which culminates in tensions between the pair — and without totally spoiling it, suffice to say that does not end so well.
    — Althea Legaspi, Rolling Stone, 16 Oct. 2026
  • The Dodgers left-hander had just given up the lead on Bauers’ two-run homer, spoiling what had been a stellar start Wednesday night at Dodger Stadium.
    — Assistant Sports Editor, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
Definition of spoiling
Noun
  • The novel is in many ways a string of dazzlingly deadpan and sharp observations about navigating the strange world of now, from predictive advertising to sugar babying to dead college friends.
    — Jasmine Vojdani, Vulture, 4 Nov. 2025
Definition of babying
Verb
  • His current employer is Damien Cantor, an authentically sleazy and slippery character who operates under no discernible code beyond indulging a dumb, preening narcissism.
    — Scott Tobias, Vulture, 7 Oct. 2026
  • After the event was disrupted by an armed intruder, the Administration and the association scheduled a July do-over, where Trump delivered a rambling speech indulging seemingly every tangent that sprang to mind, but his contempt remained apparent.
    — Jelani Cobb, New Yorker, 27 Sep. 2026
Definition of indulging
Verb
  • In 2023, 32-year old Lauren Norris felt pain while nursing her youngest of three children.
    — Roni Robbins, AJC.com, 12 Oct. 2026
  • Jonathan Allen, a 10-year veteran who has contributed 12 tackles and two sacks in the season’s first four games, is nursing a knee injury that has kept him from participating in Cincinnati’s past two practices.
    — Omar Kelly, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of nursing

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coddling
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Cite this Entry

“Coddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coddling. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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