as in to spoil
to treat with great or excessive care
the college president is a past master at dandling wealthy alumni
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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
The day after the election, Taaz Robinson, a fellow third-year, posted a picture on Buckingham’s Facebook page of Donald Trump as an infant being dandled by Vladimir Putin.
—Tara Bahrampour, Washington Post, 12 Oct. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dandle
Verb
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For this year’s peak in the early hours of July 31, only the most dramatic of the Capricornids will drop jaws, as a wanning gibbous moon (98 percent illumination) will spoil dark skies.—
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And yet, Peyton Watson (30th overall) is becoming a keeper and Christian Braun (21st overall), even as an ankle injury threatens to spoil this season, landed a second contract as a core player.—
Verb
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The Rams nursed a slim three-point lead when both teams headed to their respective locker rooms at the end of the second quarter.—
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Long before he was spotted in the tunnel bent over to nurse his latest injury, Davis attempted to play through the injury.—
Verb
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Each new piece was crafted to be simple, functional, and beautiful, giving parents peace of mind and babies a nurturing space to grow.—
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Hummers are the smallest and lightest of birds, some weighing no more than a coin, some babies the size of a bean.—
Verb
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Hidden away from the rest of the first floor action, the primary bedroom was a place for Cece to indulge her most personal decorating whims.—
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The skaters, staff, volunteers and fans were generous in indulging me.—
Verb
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Because right now, with child care problems causing one in four parents, often mothers, to cut back working hours and one in six to leave entirely, Miami-Dade parents and businesses alike are feeling the pain.—
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The footage sees Sheriff Mickey Fox (played by Homeland’s Morena Baccarin) juggling her law enforcement duties with the challenges of mothering her daughter Skye (Degrassi: The Next Generation‘s Amanda Arcuri).—
Verb
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Police officers, in my view, coddled Lorincz and failed to protect her Black neighbors, Owens among them.—
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As children, Keaton often dismissed her younger brother as a crybaby, scaredy cat and a nuisance who was coddled by their mother.—
Verb
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Crystal Mountain, Michigan Founded in 1956 as a community ski area, Crystal Mountain (28 miles southwest of Traverse City) has become a destination for healthful, pampering getaways.—
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Whatever the case, pamper yourself in a pleasing way.—
Verb
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In winter, lolling is best done in the warm and cosseting spa.—
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While most art cars since the fifth installment had been cosseted, this one was present at the starting line for the 2010 24 Hours of Le Mans.—
Cite this Entry
“Dandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dandle. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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