CUDDLING Synonyms: 15 Similar and Opposite Words

cuddling

verb

present participle of cuddle

as in snuggling

to lie close kittens cuddling in a basket

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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 cuddling The proud mom shared pictures of her and Green cuddling their little one in the hospital room, concealing the newborn’s face in the snaps. — Kayla Grant, PEOPLE, 21 Aug. 2026 Among pictures of the couple cuddling their baby boy, the proud mother also shared a photo of Pinault introducing Hayek to her newborn grandson. — Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 14 Aug. 2026 In the living room of their Englewood home, the Bennett family listens to records while cuddling with their cats. — Eleni N. Gage, Architectural Digest, 3 Aug. 2026 Neill was a performer whose bone-deep decency shone through his work and was amplified in later years by a social-media presence that featured him reminiscing about his career or hanging out with animals on his farm, or maybe cuddling a duck. — Brian Tallerico, Vulture, 14 July 2026 Video shows Neil flopping his blubbery body around on the street, destroying fences and cuddling with traffic cones. — Julia Gomez, USA Today, 1 July 2026 And in tumble Spiderman and Hulk, swords in hand, a shy Snow White with her wellies on wrong, and Pocahontas cuddling a teddy. — Literary Hub, 19 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for cuddling

snuggling

Verb

Her arc mirrored that of my Mexican immigrant parents, who were also mountain people who grew up in big farming families with no plumbing or electricity, snuggling with siblings during winter nights in unheated bedrooms.

— Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Sterling could be seen snuggling up to her father as Bronze sat on his lap, while Patrick appeared to be tickling Golden, who lay next to mom Brittany in a flamingo print onesie.

— Kirsty Hatcher, PEOPLE, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of snuggling

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cuddles

cuddling

cuddy

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“Cuddling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cuddling. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of cuddling

verb

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