as in to pat
to touch or handle in a tender or loving manner
gently caressed her hair
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Recent Examples of caress
In a video shared by the Broncos from the unveiling, Smith is seen carefully caressed the statue of her son's face just after the curtain drops.
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Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
Then Jennifer Tilly’s hand gently caresses Gina Gershon’s face from her cheek down to her chin.
—James Factora, Them., 26 Sep. 2025
The Young Pope star was seen caressing Coan’s back and whispering in her ear.
—Angel Saunders, People.com, 3 Sep. 2025
In photos the pop superstar shared, Kelce could be seen down on one knee as Swift caressed his face during the intimate moment.
—Tracy Wright, FOXNews.com, 2 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for caress
Recent Examples of Synonyms for caress
Verb
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First of all, pat yourself on the back for being productive and doing some good in your community.—
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Olie continued to pat Aisha’s shoulder.—
Verb
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For an artisanal twist, look no further than Ezcaray Matisse throw that looks as if Georgia O’Keeffe applied the paint brush strokes herself.—
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Allen has created a hall of mirrors, then, in which we’re supposed to stroke our chins and perhaps wink-wink at Baum’s meta commentary about the dangers of confusing the artist with the man … But so what?—
Cite this Entry
“Caress.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/caress. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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