as in to delay
to move or act slowly
since they were charging by the hour, the house painters lingered in finishing up their work
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of linger
In the longer term, Iran has demonstrated an ability over the last 109 days to effectively use the Strait of Hormuz as a pressure-point, and analysts believe the risks of another closure may linger.
—
Frank Andrews, CBS News, 16 June 2026
The crew didn’t linger to find out where it was headed.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 16 June 2026
But this elbow impingement has lingered and the Royals want more clarity about it.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 16 June 2026
After learning of her father's death, Leela wrestled with questions that still linger today.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for linger
Frank Andrews, CBS News, 16 June 2026
The crew didn’t linger to find out where it was headed.
—Mark Price, Charlotte Observer, 16 June 2026
But this elbow impingement has lingered and the Royals want more clarity about it.
—Jaylon Thompson, Kansas City Star, 16 June 2026
After learning of her father's death, Leela wrestled with questions that still linger today.
—Ashley Vega, PEOPLE, 15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for linger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for linger
Verb
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And schools that delay submitting transfer paperwork until the last minute thinking investigators will be too busy to spot an error don’t understand the process.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
21 June 2026
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The initial flight was delayed, causing everyone on the flight to miss their connections in Iceland.—
Josh Rivera,
USA Today,
21 June 2026
Verb
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As the conflict in the Middle East has dragged on, pressure has been building on Capitol Hill to intervene.—
Zachary Schermele,
USA Today,
18 June 2026
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In an unprecedented moved in May, Lebanon filed a formal complaint against Iran at the United Nations Security Council, directly accusing Tehran of violating the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations for interfering in its sovereign decisions and dragging the country into war.—
Mireille Rebeiz,
The Conversation,
18 June 2026
Verb
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As pests crawl through it, its jagged edges scrape their exoskeletons, dehydrating and killing them.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
18 June 2026
-
For cybersecurity companies, identifying a digital agent crawling a website used to be enough evidence of malicious activity.—
Rachyl Jones,
semafor.com,
17 June 2026
Verb
-
Cloudy and rainy conditions prevail throughout the morning, then in the afternoon the sun pokes through with calm winds.—
Kendrick Calfee
June 16,
Kansas City Star,
16 June 2026
-
Cover the jar with plastic wrap and poke a few holes in the top.—
Meghan Overdeep,
Southern Living,
16 June 2026
Verb
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In light of modern threat scenarios—particularly the widespread use of drones and loitering munitions—the Skyranger closes a critical capability gap for Western armed forces.—
Prabhat Ranjan Mishra,
Interesting Engineering,
17 June 2026
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On one particular muggy day, there had been only a few young men loitering outside before their swim.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
3 June 2026
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.—
Molly Allen,
Travel + Leisure,
21 June 2026
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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.—
Cynthia J Drake,
Southern Living,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Linger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/linger. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.
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