1
as in birthplace
a place of origin
Philadelphia is known as "the cradle of liberty" because it was there that the Declaration of Independence was signed
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2
as in source
a point or place at which something is invented or provided
the 1848 meeting at Seneca Falls, New York, is often regarded as the cradle of the women's suffrage movement
Synonyms & Similar Words
1
2
as in to mother
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Dissimilar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of cradle
Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Jan. 2026
The grits cradle the saucy shrimp, which come together quickly while the grits stay warm on the stove.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025
They’re made with real leather and are cushioned to cradle your foot.
—Christopher Murray
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cradle
Noun
The device comes with a USB-C charging cradle and cable.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 17 Jan. 2026
The grits cradle the saucy shrimp, which come together quickly while the grits stay warm on the stove.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 14 Jan. 2026
Verb
These orthotic-rivaling insoles offer several benefits and are strategically designed to cradle your feet.
—Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 7 Sep. 2025
They’re made with real leather and are cushioned to cradle your foot.
—Christopher Murray
May Earn A Commission If You Buy Through Our Referral Links. This Content Was Created By A Team That Works Independently From The Fox Newsroom., FOXNews.com, 5 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for cradle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cradle
Noun
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After all, when that 1890 study was conducted, curlers used stone from all around Scotland, the sport’s birthplace.—
Andrea Thompson,
Scientific American,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The National Park Service removed a large Pride flag from Stonewall National Monument — a place many consider the birthplace of the modern LGBTQ+ movement.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The Dallas Cowboys are planning to place the franchise tag on wide receiver George Pickens, a league source confirmed to The Athletic.—
Jon Machota,
New York Times,
8 Feb. 2026
-
Wright cited statistics showing that natural gas -- long the nation's leading source of electricity -- provided 43% of electric power at peak generation during the storm, followed by coal at 24% and nuclear at 15%.—
MATTHEW DALY,
Arkansas Online,
8 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The cop in front of her touched her wrist, the mustached one clamped a hand on her shoulder, and the one to her right grabbed her sleeve.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 Jan. 2026
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The clamping system is currently being prepared for patenting, with a view to adoption in future fusion power-plant designs beyond the STEP program.—
Aman Tripathi,
Interesting Engineering,
29 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
Nevertheless, Pearl continues to mother him.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
10 Feb. 2026
-
During the foster season, officials move captive pups into existing litters where they can be mothered by wild wolves.—
Sarah Henry,
AZCentral.com,
23 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
Bauer proposed an amendment to state that a government body shouldn’t take action to prohibit, deny, restrict or interfere with the right to marry based on race, color, ethnicity or national origin.—
Alexandra Kukulka,
Chicago Tribune,
11 Feb. 2026
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Though the term has a rich history in hockey, its origins lie in cricket.—
Suzanne Nuyen,
NPR,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
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In a video that went viral on social media, the girl appeared to grip the chairlift in a desperate struggle as her feet flailed in the air, still strapped to her snowboard.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
4 Feb. 2026
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The community held a candlelight vigil to pray for Nancy Guthrie's safe return as the baffling case grips the nation.—
Chris Kenning,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The town square's sunken fountain was replaced with artificial turf, more seating, public art and a large LED screen for sports events and other broadcasts.—
Tom Daykin,
jsonline.com,
4 Feb. 2026
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But this new permanent menu item layers the fountain beverages and ice cream rather than blending them together.—
Sabrina Weiss,
PEOPLE,
4 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Keep the Feeder Clean Keeping your hummingbird feeder clean, so that no liquid food is clinging to the surface, is a good way to deter ants (and other bugs like bees) from being attracted to it.—
Peg Aloi,
The Spruce,
7 Feb. 2026
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But for now, Karnišovas is clinging to that hope for a successful (and lucky) future.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Cradle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cradle. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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