Final answer:
The sentence is an example of a simile.
Step-by-step explanation:
The sentence "The branches of the tree cradled the hammock like a mother's arms around a baby" is an example of a simile. A simile is a figure of speech that compares two unlike things using the words "like" or "as". In this sentence, the branches of the tree are compared to a mother's arms cradling a baby, using the word "like".
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