dangle

verb

dan·gle | \ ˈdaŋ-gəl

dangled; dangling\ -g(ə-)liŋ

Definition of dangle

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to hang loosely and usually so as to be able to swing freely

2 : to be a hanger-on or a dependent

3 : to occur in a sentence without having a normally expected syntactic relation to the rest of the sentence (such as climbing in "Climbing the mountain the cabin came into view") a dangling participle a dangling modifier

transitive verb

1 : to cause to dangle : swing dangled her feet in the water

2a : to keep hanging uncertainly

b : to hold out as an inducement

dangle

noun

Definition of dangle (Entry 2 of 2)

1 : the action of dangling

2 : something that dangles

Other Words from dangle Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about dangle

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Synonyms for dangle

Synonyms: Verb

hang, sling, suspend, swing

Examples of dangle in a Sentence

Verb

Let your arms dangle at your sides. She sat on the edge of the pool, dangling her feet in the water. He dangled a piece of string in front of the cat. The money she dangled in front of him wasn't enough to convince him to sell. They refused to accept the money that was dangled before their eyes.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

As rescue workers heaved people out of the mud, dangling from helicopters above the wreckage, Brazil’s new president, Jair Bolsonaro, called together his three-week-old administration for a crisis meeting. — Jeffrey T. Lewis, WSJ, "Around 200 People Missing, Seven Dead, After Dam Bursts in Brazil," 25 Jan. 2019 When a faulty windscreen panel dropped off from the cockpit window, Captain Tim LanCaster was halfway sucked out of the cockpit, with only his legs dangling inside at 17,000 feet. — Sam Blum, Popular Mechanics, "8 Emergency Landings That Rival the 'Miracle on the Hudson'," 15 Jan. 2019 Besides the metallic detailing on the dress, Curtis also arrived wearing dangling earrings and carrying a interesting clutch. — Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, "See Jamie Lee Curtis Absolutely Crush the Golden Globes Red Carpet," 7 Jan. 2019 While every look was completely different from the one before it, there was one element that remained the same: a perfect pair of silver dangling earrings. — Alyssa Hardy, Teen Vogue, "Yara Shahidi Wore 3 Outfits in 1 Day and I Need to Talk About Them," 3 Jan. 2019 At various points, the camera seems to be stuffed into an odd corner of a room, or else dangling high overhead from a birds’-eye view, or viewing the action from far across a vast room or landscape. — Aja Romano, Vox, "Why Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Conformist still resonates today," 3 Dec. 2018 Her platinum hair is twisted into a piecey chignon, and architectural jewelry drips from her body — a cascade of crystals dangling inside a helix and a large pearl suspended from a hoop are cinched to her ears. — Cotton Codinha, Allure, "Mathilde Laurent Used All of Her Senses to Create a Scent That Smells Like Diamonds," 2 Oct. 2018 The Flying Dinosaur ride at Universal Japan came to an abrupt halt Tuesday when the safety mechanism was activated after detecting something was wrong, leaving 64 passengers dangling face down for up to two hours. — Michelle Gant, Fox News, "'World's fastest' hybrid roller coaster in Ohio shuts down on opening day after two cars collide," 2 Oct. 2018 The house feels playful throughout with vibrant paint jobs and industrial touches like concrete floors, concrete block walls, dangling mismatched pendant lamps, and a metal built-in bookshelf. — Liz Stinson, Curbed, "Colorful modern farmhouse asks $700K," 14 Aug. 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun

Wiring dangles from ceilings in rooms that look out at the massive grey slabs of the separation barrier. — Washington Post, "AP PHOTOS: Unfinished Palestinian parliament a grim symbol," 6 July 2018 In a meat market, rows of aged prosciutto dangle from steel rods above displays of sausages, fresh cuts of meats, and an almost-holy litany of salumi: mortadella, prosciutto pratomagno, pancetta, coppa, lardo, mondiola, biruldu. — Necee Regis, BostonGlobe.com, "Resort’s Tuscany cooking class has all the right ingredients," 2 July 2018 The unidentifiable figure, an Iranian Everyman, seems about to take a cautious step forward — or, more sinisterly, dangles suspended in space. — Christopher Knight, latimes.com, "In Iranian art show at LACMA, the past wrestles with the present," 4 June 2018 In his hand, a semi-automatic weapon dangles from his fingers. — De Elizabeth, Teen Vogue, ""13 Reasons Why" Season 2's School Shooting Plot Presents a Dangerous "What If?"," 21 May 2018 With four Sharks draped over him, Tuch skated through all of them, left a little dangle and dazzled with a finish that went straight past Martin Jones. — Kristen Nelson, SI.com, "Stanley Cup Playoffs Roundup: Golden Knights, Fleury Post 7-0 Beatdown Against Sharks in Game 1," 27 Apr. 2018 Therefore, a pardon dangle, especially one by the president’s private lawyer, could twist up not only the client, but also the lawyer, in a criminal obstruction probe. — Sean Illing, Vox, "I asked 11 legal experts if Trump’s lawyer obstructed justice," 29 Mar. 2018 First, a dangle of a pardon is different than the issuance of a pardon. — Sean Illing, Vox, "I asked 11 legal experts if Trump’s lawyer obstructed justice," 29 Mar. 2018 Legal experts said prosecutors could view the dangle of a presidential pardon to people under investigation as a criminal effort to obstruct justice. — chicagotribune.com, "Trump's lawyer allegedly raised possibility of pardons for Manafort, Flynn last summer," 28 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dangle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.