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
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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That made kid gloves the perfect choice for a servant handling fine silverware, where even a fingerprint could spoil the dinner presentation.—
Scott Neuman,
NPR,
4 Feb. 2026
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The Clippers tried to spoil the party, but Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets rode the good vibes of his return across the finish line.—
Oc Register,
Oc Register,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
This is a fast-track nursing degree program for individuals who hold a bachelor’s degree in a field other than nursing.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Women dominate among American stars, including alpine skier Mikaela Shiffrin, snowboarder Chloe Kim and downhill skier Lindsay Vonn, making a comeback at 41 and nursing a knee injury but still hopeful to compete.—
Greg Cote
February 1,
Miami Herald,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
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The brothers were each two years apart in age, but younger siblings were never babied; Nick recalled being on the receiving end of numerous pummelings by his older brothers.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
30 Jan. 2026
-
Each new piece was crafted to be simple, functional, and beautiful, giving parents peace of mind and babies a nurturing space to grow.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
9 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Set directly on 600 feet of beachfront, the hotel boasts an outdoor beach club, four pools, and an 18,000-square-foot wellness center, which encompasses the Bamford Wellness Spa and Anatomy gym (drop the kids off at Seedlings kids club to fully indulge).—
Devorah Lev-Tov,
Robb Report,
5 Feb. 2026
-
And don’t forget that everything is all-inclusive—even lobster—so why not indulge?—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
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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
Verb
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Leisure bred laziness; coddling meant spoiling.—
Alexandra Schwartz,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Increasingly, schools in California excessively coddle students by neglecting to impose penalties for late work, eliminating the possibility for a failing grade, and unlimited opportunities to redo exams and assignments.—
Rafael Perez,
Oc Register,
31 Jan. 2026
Verb
-
One way to do so is to pamper that person as much as possible.—
Metro Creative Services,
Boston Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
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Your dinner-party guests will soon be pampered with all things angels, roses, and the sort of preppy-chic ribbons that not only grace the hair of Robbie’s character but have also been pivotal in her IRL press-tour ensembles as of late.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
10 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Bonds form with attendants who cosset customers for generations.—
Tom Sietsema,
Washington Post,
17 Jan. 2026
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Why book De L'Europe Amsterdam? To be cosseted by a regal, grand dame five-star hotel in the beating heart of Amsterdam.—
Jemima Sissons,
Condé Nast Traveler,
5 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dandle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dandle. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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