dandle

verb

ˈdan-dᵊl How to pronounce dandle (audio)
Definition of dandlenext
as in to spoil
to treat with great or excessive care the college president is a past master at dandling wealthy alumni

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 dandle The tale is pilfered from the Aeneid, but Virgil would blench to see the curtain rise on Jupiter, dandling Ganymede, a beautiful boy, upon his knee. — Anthony Lane, New Yorker, 8 Sep. 2025 An hour later, Musk took X to New York and dandled him on his knee while being photographed for Time. — Jill Lepore, The New Yorker, 11 Sep. 2023 Vet emailed me a photo of Sly contentedly dandling a grandson in his lap. — David Kamp, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dandle
  1. spoil
  2. nurse
  3. baby
  4. indulge
  5. mother
  6. coddle
  7. pamper
  8. cosset
Verb
  • Cloud Residence spoils you even further with one pool on the terrace and another pool and a hot tub on its roof.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Aug. 2026
  • The seeming confirmation that Cyberleek has a full build, likely from 2025, opens the door to the possibility that the story of GTA VI could start being spoiled.
    — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of spoil
Verb
  • With Chamarri Conner nursing a knee injury, Jaden Hicks and Alohi Gilman were stationed as the top safeties.
    — Kansas City Star, Kansas City Star, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Tight ends show some promise Tight ends have gotten off to a quiet start in training camp, partly because of the injuries Greg Dulcich and Ben Sims were nursing.
    — Omar Kelly August 15, Miami Herald, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of nurse
Verb
  • No one’s babying him (at Houston).
    — David Aldridge, New York Times, 21 June 2026
  • Could baby owls and eagles be the key to stopping the spread of bird flu?
    — John Lauritsen, CBS News, 11 June 2026
Definition of baby
Verb
  • Written to indulge superfans, the movie also makes sure to not lose the general audience.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 18 Aug. 2026
  • 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
Definition of indulge
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
  • 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
  • Serrano comes across as someone with no inclination to coddle elite students.
    — Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 8 July 2026
Definition of coddle
Verb
  • The vintage architecture of the 130-year-old hotel is a pastiche of Gothic Revival turrets and arches, a stone castle masquerading as what is arguably the world's most luxurious and pampering ski hotel.
    — Everett Potter, Forbes.com, 17 Aug. 2026
  • Luxury hotels in Miami are competing to pamper guests’ dogs with gourmet menus, spa treatments and canine concierges.
    — Miami Herald, Miami Herald, 8 Aug. 2026
Definition of pamper
Verb
  • He was cosseted by two Shin Bet guards, their faces shielded by face masks.
    — Aidan McLaughlin, Vanity Fair, 29 July 2026
  • Great Magnificent Mile location for exploring the city, and a cosseting base to retreat to when exhausted.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 July 2026
Definition of cosset

Browse Nearby Words

dandies
dandle
dandled
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Cite this Entry

“Dandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dandle. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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