coddle
verb (used with object)
to treat tenderly; nurse or tend indulgently; pamper.
had coddled
-
past perfectof coddle.past perfect
Used to express a completed action that took place before another specific past action occurred.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Earlier that day, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejected Mr. Trump’s accusation that Beijing had coddled North Korea.
From New York Times ● Jan. 4, 2017
During the sentencing phase of his trial, a defense expert argued that Couch’s wealthy parents had coddled him into a sense of irresponsibility - a condition the expert termed “affluenza.”
From Washington Times ● Jan. 1, 2016
Friends of the Board of Trustees said that strongwilled, patrician Dr. Gordon had failed to "cooperate," that he had coddled rich students, snubbed and tyrannized others.
From Time Magazine Archive
She had coddled thirty-five grand-children there, and given instruction to some half-dozen daughters-in-law.
From The Card, a Story of Adventure in the Five Towns by Arnold Bennett
Her father had given her all the toys she wanted without stint; her mother and brothers had coddled her, particularly her mother.
From The Financier, a novel by Theodore Dreiser
