as in naive
resembling or suggesting a child; like that of a child
a childlike honesty He had a childlike innocence that others found endearing.
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Recent Examples of childlike
Marc Jacobs has been exploring themes of childlike wonder in his last few shows.
—
India Espy-Jones, Essence, 5 Feb. 2025
My brother navigated the single-lane, snaking roads with a mischievous, childlike grin.
—Sara Lieberman, Travel + Leisure, 21 Jan. 2025
My generation is holding on to our sense of childlike imagination.
—The Learning Network, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
By staying true to her own experiences, her music naturally encourages others to embrace courage, authenticity, and a childlike sense of wonder—an organic process that defines the heart of her artistic contribution.
—Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for childlike
India Espy-Jones, Essence, 5 Feb. 2025
My brother navigated the single-lane, snaking roads with a mischievous, childlike grin.
—Sara Lieberman, Travel + Leisure, 21 Jan. 2025
My generation is holding on to our sense of childlike imagination.
—The Learning Network, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2025
By staying true to her own experiences, her music naturally encourages others to embrace courage, authenticity, and a childlike sense of wonder—an organic process that defines the heart of her artistic contribution.
—Hilary Tetenbaum, USA TODAY, 15 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for childlike
Recent Examples of Synonyms for childlike
Adjective
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Even Portugal, who have been naive defensively but have considerable pace in attack, could threaten in transition, and Italy will need to shore up that element of their game to avoid being caught out.—
Cerys Jones,
New York Times,
4 July 2025
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How did an obscure, scientifically naive mining society discover the wheel, when highly advanced civilizations, such as the ancient Egyptians, did not?—
Kai James,
JSTOR Daily,
3 July 2025
Adjective
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What matters is whether genuine compatibility exists beneath the obsession.—
Emma Specter,
Vogue,
5 July 2025
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Despite the lighthearted framing of the post, many comments conveyed genuine sadness or guilt—often about animals taken on without fully understanding the commitment involved.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
5 July 2025
Adjective
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Nearby is the kitchen, which is compact and simple as standard.—
New Atlas,
New Atlas,
11 July 2025
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Chris wore a simple navy blue polo shirt and khaki shorts combo, while Alexa showed off her growing bump in a white and blue floral dress — along with an Olympic logo necklace to complete her maternity style.—
Kayla Grant,
People.com,
11 July 2025
Adjective
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Now, as the families prepare for next week's sentencing hearing on July 23, Patterson and Ward are hoping to give readers a true sense of the four victims.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
14 July 2025
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What's changing with Gemini on Android Currently, the official email and support pages aren't providing consistent information on Gemini's true behavior regarding this change and how to disable it.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
14 July 2025
Adjective
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If no deal is reached by August, there is a real danger that President Trump will impose high tariffs.—
Myron Brilliant,
Time,
9 July 2025
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The only thing more impressive is the cast's ability to maintain real, long-term relationships despite spending nearly two decades playing some of the most awful characters on TV.—
Allison DeGrushe Published,
EW.com,
9 July 2025
Adjective
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The natural linen and cane come together beautifully with the wood accents.—
Julia Harrison,
Architectural Digest,
8 July 2025
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This natural cause-and-effect helps build self-control in decision making, which is more effective than a lecture alone.—
Wendy Wisner,
Parents,
8 July 2025
Adjective
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Sellers are unsophisticated and oftentimes are not natively digital, which adds to the challenge of discoverability for buyers Buyers and sellers take a long time to close deals thanks to lengthy clearing price negotiations, financing processes, transition planning, and more.—
Rocio Wu,
Forbes,
26 Feb. 2025
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Thus even relatively unsophisticated cybercriminals can access the latest tools to commit their crimes.—
Steve Weisman,
Forbes.com,
15 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Childlike.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/childlike. Accessed 19 Jul. 2025.
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