ichidan verb, intransitive verb
play pranks; be spoiled
Rare, literary, or dialectal verb for acting in a playful, mischievous, or spoiled manner. Often used of children or pets. In modern Japanese, 甘える or ふざける are far more common.
子犬がじゃれてそばえている。
The puppy is frolicking and playing pranks.
昔の小説には「そばえる」という言葉
The word そばえる sometimes appears in old novels.