as in to nurse
to give milk to from the breast
the image of a mother suckling her babe is a standard artistic symbol of maternal love and nurturing
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of suckle
Joan jumped on her leg in an attempt to get some and started to suckle the cheese.
—
Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
After the birth, the infant was showing strong signs of suckling, and zoo staff thought that Kianga was providing excellent care, the release states.
—Grant Lancaster, arkansasonline.com, 7 Sep. 2024
But the government men botched their job: rather than dying, the twins were soon discovered by a she-wolf, who suckled them back to health.
—Michael Fontaine, Foreign Affairs, 15 Feb. 2016
The insects will have enough time to get used to their new home and then hopefully mate and burrow down to suckle at the roots of hazel trees.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 31 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for suckle
Nina Turner, Newsweek, 30 Oct. 2024
After the birth, the infant was showing strong signs of suckling, and zoo staff thought that Kianga was providing excellent care, the release states.
—Grant Lancaster, arkansasonline.com, 7 Sep. 2024
But the government men botched their job: rather than dying, the twins were soon discovered by a she-wolf, who suckled them back to health.
—Michael Fontaine, Foreign Affairs, 15 Feb. 2016
The insects will have enough time to get used to their new home and then hopefully mate and burrow down to suckle at the roots of hazel trees.
—Elizabeth Weise, USA TODAY, 31 May 2024
See All Example Sentences for suckle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for suckle
Verb
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Jackson nursed him back to health by covering his feet with a medicated balm and became acutely aware of the need to protect her pets from the hot summer sun and heatwaves.—
Jen Reeder,
Forbes.com,
14 July 2025
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The University of Minnesota’s equine intensive care unit nursed him back from his pneumonia and wounds.—
Mark Vancleave,
Twin Cities,
30 June 2025
Verb
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However, as with any caffeinated beverage, people who are pregnant or breastfeeding should limit their intake.9 Green tea extracts, which are supplements or pills containing extremely high levels of green tea compounds, have more health risks than the green tea beverage.—
Sarah Bence,
Verywell Health,
14 July 2025
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That was followed by Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) by Washington D.C., which offers 43 restaurants to choose from, one play area, five breastfeeding stations, and rentable strollers.—
Opheli Garcia Lawler,
Travel + Leisure,
14 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Suckle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/suckle. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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