cuddling vs caressing

cuddling and caressing both are nouns.

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

As nouns, cuddling and caressing are synonyms defined as:

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

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

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