swaddle

verb

swad·​dle ˈswä-dᵊl 

swaddled; swaddling

ˈswäd-liŋ,

ˈswä-dᵊl-iŋ 

transitive verb

1

a

: to wrap (an infant) with swaddling clothes

b

: envelop, swathe

legs swaddled in bandages

2

: restrain, restrict

marriage … swaddled him in a domesticity he came to loathe

—Nina Auerbach

Examples of swaddle in a Sentence

He swaddled the baby in a blanket.

Recent Examples on the Web

Their baby daughter is swaddled in white and wearing a headband adorned with jeweled flowers. —Skyler Caruso, People.com, 11 May 2025

The rooms are swaddled in Pali-signature toile and ticking stripes, with grass-cloth wallpaper and layered textures in muted blues and greys. —Benjamin Svetkey, HollywoodReporter, 9 May 2025

In the sweet photo of their baby boy, the couple's new addition wore a huge pair of sunglasses as he's swaddled in a blue blanket with Star Wars' R2-D2 on it. —Kayla Grant, People.com, 28 Apr. 2025

His son, called John, is swaddled in Alex’s arms, which are also swaddled. —Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 6 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English swadelen, swathelen, probably alteration of swedelen, swethelen, from swethel swaddling band, from Old English; akin to Old English swathian to swathe

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Rhymes for swaddle

• caudal
• caudle
• dawdle
• model
• twaddle
• waddle
• remodel

Kids Definition

swaddle

verb

swad·​dle ˈswäd-ᵊl 

swaddled; swaddling ˈswäd-liŋ 

-ᵊl-iŋ

: to wrap an infant with swaddling clothes