as in to spoil
to treat with great or excessive care
refused to mollycoddle her malingering son and sent him off to school
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Recent Examples of mollycoddle
You’re not mollycoddled during the week and are expected to act as any professional crew member would.
—
Helen Iatrou, Robb Report, 14 Sep. 2023
So football generally, and pro football specifically, helped reassure the country that American men were not mollycoddled softies.
—James Surowiecki, New York Times, 19 Dec. 2019
Koenig may have supported Bernie Sanders in 2016, but Sanders’s mollycoddling platform never approaches the real-life perplexities that Koenig — a pop poet — sings about.
—Armond White, National Review, 10 Dec. 2019
Her poise is the result of a loving yet punctilious upbringing by parents determined that their fame and its accompanying perks were not going to mollycoddle their two children.
—Michael Callahan, Town & Country, 1 Aug. 2018
Both sides are mollycoddling their own predicaments with this talk.
—Chad Pergram, Fox News, 15 Mar. 2018
This mollycoddled outdated practices, like harvesting by hand.
—The Economist, 14 Dec. 2017
Helen Iatrou, Robb Report, 14 Sep. 2023
So football generally, and pro football specifically, helped reassure the country that American men were not mollycoddled softies.
—James Surowiecki, New York Times, 19 Dec. 2019
Koenig may have supported Bernie Sanders in 2016, but Sanders’s mollycoddling platform never approaches the real-life perplexities that Koenig — a pop poet — sings about.
—Armond White, National Review, 10 Dec. 2019
Her poise is the result of a loving yet punctilious upbringing by parents determined that their fame and its accompanying perks were not going to mollycoddle their two children.
—Michael Callahan, Town & Country, 1 Aug. 2018
Both sides are mollycoddling their own predicaments with this talk.
—Chad Pergram, Fox News, 15 Mar. 2018
This mollycoddled outdated practices, like harvesting by hand.
—The Economist, 14 Dec. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for mollycoddle
Verb
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Despite Alfred and Jefferson-Wooden being the clear favorites for gold in the 100-meter dash, there are a few others besides Fraser-Pryce who could spoil the party.—
Katelyn Hutchison,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
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Instead, the couple is content to spoil their dog, Bimini, a mini Labradoodle whom Berk first introduced on his Instagram in 2021.—
Erin Clack,
PEOPLE,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The breast milk changed aroma, and babies adjusted feeding – some even nursed longer – showing that flavors from a mother’s diet carry into milk and could shape early taste learning.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
19 Sep. 2025
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Sophie Cunningham has also been nursing an injury.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Or indulge with a Steak Plate of grass-fed tri-tip and veggies — or a Mango Goat Cheese or Tri-Tip salad.—
Michael Deeds,
Idaho Statesman,
9 Sep. 2025
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The invention of soft serve ice cream around the 1930s really helped stadium goers indulge all that more, opening the opportunity for unique vessels to carry the creation.—
Tim Newcomb,
Forbes.com,
9 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Throughout the film, he’s surrounded by artists and political pundits who consistently coddle his every whim (Chris Rock, Pharrell Williams, Drake and David Letterman, to name a few).—
Steven J. Horowitz,
Variety,
18 Sep. 2025
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Salicylic acid penetrates deep into the pores to dissolve away acne-causing debris, while coddling the skin barrier with a cocktail of ceramides and niacinamide.—
Sophia Panych,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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So the big question now is, which type of football will baby Gianna grow up to play, if at all?—
Sari Hitchins,
Parents,
4 Sep. 2025
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Conceivably one or two of them should have already been at Citi Field, but until finally summoning McLean to pitch Saturday, Stearns has been babying them in the minors.—
Bill Madden,
New York Daily News,
16 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Motivated largely by his desire to please his dead father, who bullied him into believing that toughness is the essence of manhood, Cade insists on pushing past his injury and pursuing his dream.—
Stephanie Zacharek,
Time,
19 Sep. 2025
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Golden retrievers, while intelligent and eager to please, are more commonly found retrieving game, assisting as service animals, or acting as family companions.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 Sep. 2025
Verb
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They will also be pampered in a variety of opulent living areas including movie theater, gym.—
Bill Springer,
Forbes.com,
19 Sep. 2025
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Yet the train of military vehicles that appeared was remarkably tame, a cavalcade of superannuated weapons platforms serving as a reminder of the degree to which the military-industrial complex, glutted with money and pampered by Congress, has run out of new ideas.—
Seth Harp,
Harpers Magazine,
19 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Mollycoddle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/mollycoddle. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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