caressing vs cuddling

caressing and cuddling both are nouns.

Word	Noun	Adjective	Verb	Adverb
caressing	Yes	No	No	No
cuddling	Yes	No	No	No

As nouns, caressing and cuddling are synonyms defined as:

caressing and cuddling: affectionate play (or foreplay without contact with the genital organs)

Other synonyms of caressing include fondling, hugging, kissing, necking, petting, smooching, snuggling.

caressing (noun)	cuddling (noun)
affectionate play (or foreplay without contact with the genital organs)	affectionate play (or foreplay without contact with the genital organs)