spoon-feed

verb

Definition of spoon-feednext
as in to hand-feed

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of spoon-feed Miles is spoon-feeding free-agent frontcourt acquisitions Natasha Howard and Nia Coffey on the pick-and-roll. — Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 9 June 2026 But, because of the differences in bottle feeding versus natural milk feeding, the cubs needed a diet regimen in which the food is either placed in a bowl or spoon-fed to them. — Caleb Lunetta, San Diego Union-Tribune, 25 Mar. 2026 Nowhere is this more apparent than in a montage of snapshots during which the characters recount everything, spoon-feeding us information that should either be implied or not there at all. — Jay Weissberg, Variety, 14 May 2026 Still, the normally apathetic members of the Russian public, at least a number of them, are no longer willing to gobble up whatever Russian state television spoon-feeds them. — Daniel Depetris, Mercury News, 23 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for spoon-feed
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spoon-feed
  1. hand-feed
  2. force-feed
  3. overfeed
  4. fatten
  5. underfeed
  6. fill
Verb
  • On the docks in Islamorada, travelers can hand-feed tarpon that are more than six feet long.
    — Sarah Rose, Travel + Leisure, 25 June 2026
  • In 2017, a couple driving on the Alaska Highway posted photos of themselves hand-feeding donuts and hot dogs to a grizzly bear through the window of their vehicle.
    — Dac Collins, Outdoor Life, 21 May 2026
Definition of hand-feed
Verb
  • The United States, which can gobble up Olympic medals and force-feed its brand of football to a happy audience across the pond, has had to cede superiority to the rest of the world, unable to even get its own term for the game to catch on.
    — Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 13 June 2026
  • Kyle Shanahan doesn’t force-feed his WR1, but targets are wide open in San Francisco.
    — Jake Ciely, New York Times, 12 Mar. 2026
Definition of force-feed
Verb
  • However, frequent consumption of sweets and sugary drinks can overfeed harmful bacteria in a way that neither saliva nor helpful bacteria can overcome.
    — Jacqueline Abranches, The Conversation, 2 Dec. 2025
  • Remember, those treat calories count toward the daily total, so adjust meal portions accordingly to prevent overfeeding and maintain a balanced, healthy diet.
    — Lucy Notarantonio, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025
Definition of overfeed
Verb
  • Search ahead, especially before entering expensive corridors, remote areas or tourist towns where fuel prices fatten up like raccoons behind a diner.
    — Josh Max, Forbes.com, 23 May 2026
  • But the rules are written as if to fatten the wallets of the hospital and insurance giants — while the taxpayers and employers eat the costs.
    — Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 30 Apr. 2026
Definition of fatten
Verb
  • That court order stems from a legal action that the Southern Center brought against Sheriff Franklin’s predecessor, Greg Bartlett, who had been underfeeding inmates while taking $212,000 in food money for his personal use.
    — WALT BOGDANICH and GRACE ASHFORD, New York Times, 14 Dec. 2017
Definition of underfeed
Verb
  • Rather than designing a luxury escape filled with domestic gadgets, the architects have shaped a home that encourages slowing down and reconnecting with nature.
    — Bridget Borgobello July 03, New Atlas, 4 July 2026
  • Through the risk of lightning, sticky humidity and a winding line filled with thousands of chanting fans, Argentine fans flooded Bayfront Park with a sea of blue jerseys.
    — Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 4 July 2026
Definition of fill

Browse Nearby Words

spoon-fed
spoon-feed
spoon-feeding
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Spoon-feed.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spoon-feed. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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