CRADLE Synonyms: 126 Similar and Opposite Words

cradle 1 of 2

noun

ˈkrā-dᵊl

Definition of cradle

as in birthplace

a place of origin Philadelphia is known as "the cradle of liberty" because it was there that the Declaration of Independence was signed

Synonyms & Similar Words

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as in source

a point or place at which something is invented or provided the 1848 meeting at Seneca Falls, New York, is often regarded as the cradle of the women's suffrage movement

Synonyms & Similar Words

cradle

2 of 2

verb

as in to clamp

Related Words

as in to mother

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

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 cradle

Noun

Chicago is suddenly a cradle of quarterbacks, which never really happened before. — Mike McGraw, Chicago Tribune, 20 Aug. 2026 The piece is like a trippy cat’s cradle, in which the dancers become colorful parts of a machine. — Shauna Lyon, New Yorker, 14 Aug. 2026

Verb

On the wall, a neon sculpture of blue hands cradling a yellow heart framed by the spiky rays of a blue agave plant (Milagro’s icon) seemed to capture the spirit of the evening. — Sari Kamin, Bon Appetit Magazine, 17 June 2026 Julian loved this on the pricier Humanscale Freedom, which felt like someone was cradling his body. — Julian Chokkattu, Wired News, 16 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for cradle

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cradle

Noun

The iconic Berkeley venue is best known as the birthplace of Rock and Roll Hall of famers Green Day, who originally performed at the club under the name Sweet Children in 1987.

— Jane Tyska, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 2026
The district encompasses an increasingly Democratic-leaning Omaha metro area of 1 million-plus and its more conservative suburbs — famous for steaks and the Reuben sandwich’s birthplace, though New York disputes that.

— Will Weissert, Los Angeles Times, 24 Aug. 2026

Definition of birthplace

Noun

The San Diego Padres will call up top catching prospect Ethan Salas when rosters expand Tuesday, a team source told The Athletic on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the move.

— Dennis Lin, New York Times, 1 Sep. 2026
From February through July 2026, ELG exceeded its plan by approximately $400 million of gross merchandise value, sources said.

— David Moin, Footwear News, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of source

Verb

CFMoto Stopping duties come courtesy of Brembo, featuring dual 320-mm front discs clamped by radial four-piston calipers and backed by a 260-mm rear disc.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 22 Aug. 2026
Simply clamp the Smart Jumper Cables with the mini flashlight directly onto the vehicle battery terminals and let the powerful 29600mWh (8000mAh) 4-cell, high-grade lithium-polymer battery do the work.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of clamp

Verb

The new cub's arrival marks the first time Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium has had a lion birth since July 2020, when lioness Abana mothered three cubs.

— Finch Walker, USA Today, 17 June 2026
Virginia Dulles was the opposite of Louanne Bixby—even a hundred children couldn’t exhaust her need to mother them.

— Jonathan Franzen, New Yorker, 1 June 2026

Definition of mother

Verb

Researchers have built versions that grip tree branches, cling to rough walls, and even latch onto moving vehicles, but ice – especially steep, unpredictable glacier ice – had remained one of the field's toughest holdouts.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 Sep. 2026
Stock Chart IconStock chart icon In the lead-up to the 1997 crisis, markets were gripped by tech optimism amid the advent of the internet.

— Lim Hui Jie, CNBC, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of grip

Verb

Winner had a choice Johnson lives in Goldston and has taught middle school for about 20 years.

— Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 29 Aug. 2026
The couple's home is near the former San Francisco Art Institute, where prominent sculptor Ralph Stackpole taught for decades — leading Gittelsohn to believe the piece may have a connection to him or one of his students.

— Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 29 Aug. 2026

Definition of teach

Browse Nearby Words

crack wise

cradle

cradled

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Cite this Entry

Style

“Cradle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cradle. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of cradle

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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