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
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
North Carolina politician says Democrats are coddling criminals Records also list a September 2025 simple-assault charge and a March 2025 charge of assault on a female. — Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 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 True American industrial strength rests on productivity, innovation, competition, and access to global supply chains, not on coddling producers behind walls of higher prices. — Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 25 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for coddling
  1. pampering
  2. boiling
  3. spoiling
  4. babying
  5. indulging
  6. nursing
Noun
  • Certainly, my emotional release felt far less transactional than a response to five-star pampering.
    — Charley Ward, Condé Nast Traveler, 12 Aug. 2026
  • But those who can afford it enjoy a month of repose and pampering.
    — Ann Scott Tyson, Christian Science Monitor, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of pampering
Verb
  • Stir into the boiling milk and boil on low heat until thick, stirring all the time.
    — David Morgan, CBS News, 13 Aug. 2026
  • The utter carnage that follows brings major developments for all the main characters still on the chessboard — and many gruesome deaths by dragon fire, boiling oil, spikes and even catapults.
    — Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 10 Aug. 2026
Definition of boiling
Verb
  • Decades later, the government was still buying surplus cheese and storing it in vast underground caves in Missouri, Wisconsin, and Kansas, warehouses cool enough to hold the cheese for years without spoiling.
    — Catherina Gioino, Fortune, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The heat won’t be the only thing spoiling New Yorkers’ fun in the sun this weekend.
    — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 7 Aug. 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
  • Whether the race ever happens, the idea is pure Shaq, a celebrity who's renowned for indulging his passions, of which cars are near the top of the list.
    — Terry Baddoo, USA Today, 13 Aug. 2026
  • Here was a doctor borrowing the language of a fast food brand while encouraging people not to fear indulging.
    — Karin Eldor, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of indulging
Verb
  • Uncle Jimmy hung back by the drippy windows at the rear of the kitchen nursing a Schlitz.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Aug. 2026
  • Box Wine is nursing an ACL tear and is not expected to be ready for Week 1.
    — Bill Reinhard, New York Daily News, 9 Aug. 2026
Definition of nursing

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Cite this Entry

“Coddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coddling. Accessed 16 Aug. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of coddling for Spanish Speakers

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