NESTLING Synonyms: 123 Similar and Opposite Words

nestling 1 of 2

noun

Definition of nestling

as in infant

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Dissimilar Words

nestling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of nestle

as in snuggling

to lie close nestled in next to the other kittens in the box

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in crouching

to sit or recline comfortably or cozily nestling with her children on the couch

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in perching

to establish or place comfortably or snugly we had scarcely nestled the children in their beds when there was a knock at the door

Synonyms & Similar 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 nestling

Noun

Wearing latex or nitrile gloves can help prevent your scent from clinging to the nestling and attracting predators. — Stephen Underwood, Hartford Courant, 12 Apr. 2026 While the appearance is modern and synthetic, the materials feel durable and the clean design is mature, with a cover over the cupholders and wireless charger nestling in front of the armrest. — James Morris, Forbes.com, 15 Mar. 2026

Verb

The metal tip was nestling against the uppermost layer of his nail. — Kate Crane, Rolling Stone, 2 Apr. 2026 Cottagecore cozy wouldn’t be complete without a quilt, and this one from Brooklinen is on par to nestling into a cotton candy cloud. — Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 4 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for nestling

Recent Examples of Synonyms for nestling

Noun

Vaccines against the illness reduce its hospitalization rate among adults older than age 65 by 31 percent and cut deaths among infants and children by 80 percent, according to the group’s research review for these shots.

— Adam Kovac, Scientific American, 2 Sep. 2026
Lancaster County's coroner told reporters that his office was investigating the death of an infant who tested positive for measles and died from a ruptured spleen, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.

— Finch Walker, USA Today, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of infant

Verb

Her arc mirrored that of my Mexican immigrant parents, who were also mountain people who grew up in big farming families with no plumbing or electricity, snuggling with siblings during winter nights in unheated bedrooms.

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Sterling could be seen snuggling up to her father as Bronze sat on his lap, while Patrick appeared to be tickling Golden, who lay next to mom Brittany in a flamingo print onesie.

— Kirsty Hatcher, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of snuggling

Verb

In a video shown in court July 7, Robinson could be seen crouching on the rooftop, Hull told the court.

— Daniel Arkin, NBC news, 1 Sep. 2026
Body camera video of the July 2024 encounter showed Massey crouching in her kitchen and apologizing moments before Grayson shot her in the face.

— ABC News, ABC News, 23 Aug. 2026

Definition of crouching

Verb

The Ice Dart belongs to a broader push in robotics called perching, an approach borrowed from nature that tries to give drones the ability to grab onto surfaces the way birds, insects, and geckos do.

— New Atlas, New Atlas, 1 Sep. 2026
On the heels of the death of his longtime mate Jackie, bald eagle Shadow has been perching, singing and lounging at his Big Bear nest with a new companion.

— Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of perching

Noun

The newborn’s mother was severely ill from measles at the time of birth, according to reporting from The Atlantic, which spoke with the baby’s parents amid the uproar.

— Beth Mole, ArsTechnica, 1 Sep. 2026
At Burdett, only about a quarter of newborns are delivered by C-section, compared with about a third statewide, according to 2025 hospital data.

— Noam Levey, NPR, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of newborn

Verb

The proud mom shared pictures of her and Green cuddling their little one in the hospital room, concealing the newborn’s face in the snaps.

— Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026
Among pictures of the couple cuddling their baby boy, the proud mother also shared a photo of Pinault introducing Hayek to her newborn grandson.

— Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 14 Aug. 2026

Definition of cuddling

Verb

In July 2025, a destructive wildfire tore through dense pines on the canyon’s northern edge, destroying the historic Grand Canyon Lodge — the park’s only lodging there.

— Chris Boyette, CNN Money, 3 Sep. 2026
State park overnight lodging costs between $60 to $120 per night, with deluxe lodging $160 per night.

— Jenna Prestininzi, Freep.com, 1 Sep. 2026

Definition of lodging

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“Nestling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nestling. Accessed 5 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of nestling

noun

verb

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