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

The former lawyer did more than think about the cradle of Western Civilization. — Kevin Rennie, Hartford Courant, 19 Sep. 2026 Its stern reportedly contains a wet well-deck and a large cradle that can be lowered into the water using 12 vertical jack-up arms. — Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 17 Sep. 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

Moncler was founded in 1952 in Monestier-de-Clermont, and the mountains are not only the brand’s physical birthplace, but are also symbolic of its goal to aim higher, Ruffini has often said.

— Luisa Zargani, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2026
The state that launched him to the White House was predominantly white and Republican, an arsenal of the Cold War and the birthplace of a grass-roots anti-tax movement that swept the nation.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of birthplace

Noun

The kingdom, and its neighbors like the UAE and Qatar, have pitched themselves as not just sources of capital, but as a safe home for trillions in financial assets, data centers, and new industries.

— Liz Hoffman, semafor.com, 19 Oct. 2026
Portioned cups of sauces, dressings have some sort of liquid sitting on the lids from an unknown source.

— NWA Democrat-Gazette, Arkansas Online, 19 Oct. 2026

Definition of source

Verb

Once the stock is clamped, a Structured-Light sensor and a workpiece probe measure it and set the work offset automatically, so there are no stock dimensions to type in and no edges to find by hand.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 14 Oct. 2026
This buys her team more time to clamp the safeguard pipe, effectively saving the silo from extinction.

— Kelly Allen, PEOPLE, 5 Sep. 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

Noun

For anyone who spends a lot of time online, the series’s AI origins are hard to miss.

— Britta Miller, The Washington Examiner, 14 Oct. 2026
Gerwig explained that the classic-rock warhorse matches her vision of the film, which adapts Lewis’ origin story for Narnia.

— Brian Hiatt, Rolling Stone, 13 Oct. 2026

Definition of origin

Verb

Another episode of Survivor 51, another fantastic, gripping tribal council.

— Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 8 Oct. 2026
Many of the beautiful, sometimes ingenious products and technologies developed with the rise of the modern era gripped the popular imagination and made life easier, healthier and more connected.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of grip

Verb

The company identifies Time-to-Skill—the time required to teach a robot a task and achieve reliable execution—as a key measure of progress.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026
Formerly, Christians were taught that greed--that is, the immoderate pursuit and love of money--was a sin.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of teach

Noun

To the right, artificial houseplants stand in a currently dry fountain bedecked in blue light, and presided over by statue holding a candelabra-style light fixture like a torch.

— Adam Harrington, CBS News, 16 Oct. 2026
Nearby is Mastro's steakhouse, and right outside is a canopy of majestic oak trees and cascading fountains.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026

Definition of fountain

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 19 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of cradle

noun

verb

Example Sentences

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