1
as in to delay
to move or act slowly
if you continue to dawdle, we'll be late for sure
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to lazy
to spend time doing nothing
accused the city council of dawdling even as the crime rate was spiraling out of control
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dawdle
My request to ownership is don’t dawdle.
—
Dp Opinion,
Denver Post,
19 Oct. 2025
Ticket availability is scant as of this writing, don’t dawdle (with Jon Muq.
—
Aaron Davis,
Sacbee.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Is there some reason to postpone or dawdle on aiming for better for Milwaukee kids?
—
Alan J. Borsuk,
jsonline.com,
26 Sep. 2025
Fava snuffled and dawdled and took her own sweet time up the sidewalk.
—
Dan Kois,
New Yorker,
17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dawdle
Dp Opinion,
Denver Post,
19 Oct. 2025
Ticket availability is scant as of this writing, don’t dawdle (with Jon Muq.
—
Aaron Davis,
Sacbee.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Is there some reason to postpone or dawdle on aiming for better for Milwaukee kids?
—
Alan J. Borsuk,
jsonline.com,
26 Sep. 2025
Fava snuffled and dawdled and took her own sweet time up the sidewalk.
—
Dan Kois,
New Yorker,
17 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dawdle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dawdle
Verb
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Still, some experts say the lack of awareness may delay some eligible adults from taking advantage of the new coverage and getting on the treatments immediately.
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The last time Colombia played at Miami Stadium, the 2024 Copa América final against Argentina was delayed more than 75 minutes after a security breach involving ticketless fans, with some appearing to enter through air vents.
Verb
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The roar gave way to brooms scraping asphalt, trucks idling and fans comparing videos on their phones.
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Recursive self-improvement will transform the domains that check themselves and idle everywhere else.
Verb
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The town’s predicament highlights the limits of any ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel, and the lingering hardship faced by residents whose lives have been upended by years of conflict.
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Robertson answered any lingering questions about his game with his franchise-caliber play.
Verb
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Spend some time in the morning—with a cup of coffee in hand—strolling the streets to peruse the many galleries downtown within one mile of each other.
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In addition to many museums, this area has multiple parks and green spaces, restaurants, and is a lovely place to stroll.
Verb
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Seltz’s system crawls hundreds of millions of pages a day, and returns results in under 200 milliseconds.
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The animal eventually crawled under a dock.
Verb
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The sense of just how much there is to do in this part of the world—the length of the scale between lazing and becoming ultra-active—is palpable.
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Instead of setting up a spot on the sand, beachgoers typically pitch their chairs in the shallow clear blue water and laze the day away.
Verb
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Especially someone that can drag his man around a little bit, take attention away from Anthony (Edwards).
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Ennis enters as the betting favorite, but Zayas owns size and reach edges and has vowed to drag the fight into the deep, physical championship rounds.
Verb
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For the ready-to-wear line, Tcherassi created signature striped dresses and cover-ups in deep blue guipure lace perfect for lounging around Capri.
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You are encouraged to sit and lounge and read.
Cite this Entry
“Dawdle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dawdle. Accessed 29 Jun. 2026.
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