as in pampering
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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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Recent Examples of coddling
Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 15 Oct. 2025
Those softies are going to get more coddling.
—Lance Eliot, Forbes.com, 18 Aug. 2025
Avoid over-coddling; instead, use play, treats, and touch to build confidence.
—Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 Aug. 2025
Veronique De Rugy, Oc Register, 25 Nov. 2025
Campbell has accused the SCORE Act of disadvantaging these groups while coddling the NCAA.
—Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Salicylic acid penetrates deep into the pores to dissolve away acne-causing debris, while coddling the skin barrier with a cocktail of ceramides and niacinamide.
—Sophia Panych, Allure, 16 Sep. 2025
This is not about lowering expectations or coddling employees.
—Ruth Oh Reitmeier, Forbes.com, 3 Sep. 2025
Traditional romantic comedies often ask us to fall in love with, or at least be charmed by, Lucy or Julie, but neither film is keen on that kind of coddling.
—Fran Hoepfner, Vulture, 22 Aug. 2025
His Victor is the product of a coddling mother (Mia Goth), who dies young and leaves him emotionally adrift, and a domineering father (Charles Dance), who molds him into a brilliant but heedless inventor.
—Brent Lang, Variety, 20 Aug. 2025
Trump has a habit of coddling enemies and abusing friends, neither of which serves our strategic interests.
—Steve Chapman, Chicago Tribune, 6 Aug. 2025
This followed Ryan Clark accusing the Lakers of coddling LeBron’s son, Bronny James, as he won’t be required to travel while on G League team The South Bay Lakers due to the squad flying commercial.
—Armon Sadler, VIBE.com, 21 Nov. 2024
Noun
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.
—Verb
True American industrial strength rests on productivity, innovation, competition, and access to global supply chains, not on coddling producers behind walls of higher prices.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for coddling
Noun
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At the top end, the Royal Suite trio of classes (Sea, Sky, and Star) come with progressive levels of luxury and pampering.—
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For extra doses of pampering, a spa has a wide range of treatments.—
Verb
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If Brussels sprouts cause discomfort, try boiling them briefly before roasting.—
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Baking Soda and Hot Water Fill a sink or container with hot water (boiling water is best) and submerge the glass vessel.—
Verb
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Butter crocks are designed with an air-tight seal and a separate space to store water at the bottom that prevents air from reaching the butter, which can lead to spoiling.—
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There is also a fear in Cuba that the developments in Venezuela could cause a deterioration of the quality of life because of power issues, including with spoiling food, trash and mosquitoes.—
Noun
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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.—
Verb
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What’s gained by indulging our doom?—
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But Septime Webre’s choreography is supposed to have the air of wild and sometimes frenzied social dancing, of Charlestons and Fox Trots and Black Bottoms, of indulging the glorious excesses of the 1920s before the greedier side of the American Dream comes crashing down a few years later.—
Verb
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Hodges and his fellow CDU 42 officers stayed in the Capitol Crypt until late that night, sitting cross-legged and leaning against columns, nursing their wounds.—
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One possibility is if the pups start developing teeth and nursing the puppies is too painful.—
Cite this Entry
“Coddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/coddling. Accessed 12 Jan. 2026.
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