1
as in blocking
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2
as in procrastinating
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1
as in halting
to bring (something) to a standstill
endless complaints stalled the process of selecting the winning design for the memorial
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2
as in dying
to stop functioning
the engine stalls sometimes when it's very cold outside
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of stalling
Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows promised swift action and vowed to brook no more stalling tactics from Democrats.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2025
Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026
Iran has historically failed to follow through on promises, instead simply stalling and buying time.
—Las Vegas Review-Journal, Twin Cities, 18 June 2026
Alex Pereira suffered a controversial TKO loss to Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250, stalling his bid for a three-division title.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Witnesses saw the plane struggle to gain altitude before turning left, stalling and falling to the ground.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 17 June 2026
This time the shock is having the opposite effect, stalling regional economies and slowing reconstruction efforts across Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan, and Syria.
—Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 15 June 2026
Injuries contributed to the 20-year-old winger’s early impact stalling after three assists in a 6-0 win at Barnsley in the Carabao Cup.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 15 June 2026
Let’s stop stalling this project, proceed with IDOT’s excellent recommendation and keep the city moving.
—Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026
The discharge petition forced a vote on the Faster Labor Contracts Act, a bill requiring employers to bargain within 10 days of union certification to prevent employers from stalling first-time union contracts.
—Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 9 June 2026
Adjective
The tense talks continued into a second day but concluded without progress, in a diplomatic effort that seemed little more than another stalling game for Putin.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows promised swift action and vowed to brook no more stalling tactics from Democrats.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2025
Verb
Bates County officials said the aircraft failed to reach full power before stalling and crashing near Interstate 49 Business.
—Ben Wheeler, Kansas City Star, 18 June 2026
Iran has historically failed to follow through on promises, instead simply stalling and buying time.
—Las Vegas Review-Journal, Twin Cities, 18 June 2026
Alex Pereira suffered a controversial TKO loss to Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250, stalling his bid for a three-division title.
—Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Witnesses saw the plane struggle to gain altitude before turning left, stalling and falling to the ground.
—Alexandra Skores, CNN Money, 17 June 2026
This time the shock is having the opposite effect, stalling regional economies and slowing reconstruction efforts across Gaza, Lebanon, Sudan, and Syria.
—Manal Albarakati, semafor.com, 15 June 2026
Injuries contributed to the 20-year-old winger’s early impact stalling after three assists in a 6-0 win at Barnsley in the Carabao Cup.
—Andy Naylor, New York Times, 15 June 2026
Let’s stop stalling this project, proceed with IDOT’s excellent recommendation and keep the city moving.
—Chicago Tribune, 12 June 2026
The discharge petition forced a vote on the Faster Labor Contracts Act, a bill requiring employers to bargain within 10 days of union certification to prevent employers from stalling first-time union contracts.
—Lauren Green, The Washington Examiner, 9 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stalling
Adjective
-
The winner was the player who avoided being blocked the longest — a blocking game, a category of strategy game where the objective centers on restricting your opponent’s movement.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
19 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The stock has declined nearly 28% in 2026, largely due to concerns over the social media platform’s decelerating year-over-year traffic growth and its sensitivity to macroeconomic conditions.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
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An elderly Syrian man also was set to be deported to the Central African Republic but received an emergency temporary order halting his deportation, his lawyer Margaret Stock said.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
12 June 2026
-
Imagine latency issues halting activity on a trading floor.—
Scott Fulton,
Forbes.com,
12 June 2026
Verb
-
Allen plays Roxie, a dying wife and mother who arrives in the trauma bay during the show’s second season.—
Clayton Davis,
Variety,
17 June 2026
-
Snip the entire stalk, not just the flower head, of individual wilting or dying flowers down to the node so the plant will send out new blooms.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
And, through it all, stocks have continued to steadily rise, buoyed by hopes for Fed rate cuts, stronger-than-expected corporate earnings and slowing but stubborn confidence that an AI boom might reap big rewards for investors.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Fans can also pick up souvenir maps when stopping at the attraction this summer.—
Chiara Kim,
PEOPLE,
16 June 2026
-
Things to do along the Little Parkway Southern Living recommends stopping at several of the High Country’s most popular attractions, including Grandfather Mountain, where visitors can cross the Mile High Swinging Bridge, explore the Wilson Center for Nature Discovery and access nearby trails.—
Evan Moore,
Charlotte Observer,
16 June 2026
Verb
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Laredo International Airport Director Gilberto Sanchez also told CNN affiliate KGNS the aircraft experienced a mechanical failure before crashing.—
Diego Mendoza,
CNN Money,
17 June 2026
-
Simply set out bowls of coffee grounds among your outdoor seating areas to prevent ants, mosquitoes, fruit flies, and squirmy critters from crashing your barbecue.—
Joey Skladany,
Southern Living,
17 June 2026
Verb
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How about Matt Capps, a closer on a one-year deal, for a young catching prospect with the Minnesota Twins named Wilson Ramos.—
Barry Svrluga,
New York Times,
17 June 2026
-
In 2016, a B-52 crashed during takeoff from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, catching fire.—
Natalie Neysa Alund,
USA Today,
16 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stalling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stalling. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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