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"motherly" is also used as a crossword clue. If that's what you saw, the answer is often maternal (8 letters).
Definitions
in a maternal manner; as a mother
Word origin
From Middle English moderly, from Old English mōdorlīċ (“motherly, maternal”), from Proto-Germanic *mōdērlīkaz (“motherly, maternal”), equivalent to mother + -ly.
Used in a sentence
“Clover was a stout motherly mare approaching middle life[…]”
“Mrs. Rutherford looked motherly at the eager girl and caressed her curls[…]”
Source: Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0
Used as a crossword answer1 curated clues
01“Like a caring mom”8 letters
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