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

Fresh off a chilling conversation with Commander Waterford, who dangles the idea of more visits to her older daughter, Hannah, if Offred stays their handmaid and tries to help them have a baby boy, Offred has a choice to make. — Emily Yahr, chicagotribune.com, "'The Handmaid's Tale' Season 2 finale: The most shocking moments from a violent episode," 11 July 2018 Recyclers quickly stripped their wiring, while others unscrewed light bulbs to be proudly dangled on cords around their necks. — Washington Post, "AP PHOTOS: Nicaraguans battle over symbols amid unrest," 15 June 2018 Action News Jax said the two men were dangling on the side of the BB&T building in downtown Jacksonville about 17 floors up for about 30 minutes. — Cliff Pinckard, cleveland.com, "Video shows Florida firefighters rescue men from side of high rise," 21 Feb. 2018 Porter said her boyfriend was sitting poolside, dangling his feet in the water with socks on when Walker approached him, telling him repeatedly to take his socks off. — USA TODAY, "Woman fired after calling the police on a black man for wearing socks in community pool," 8 July 2018 But if the Mets hire someone to fill Alderson’s position, that new team architect could dangle Syndergaard as trade bait in the off-season. — James Wagner, New York Times, "Syndergaard Returns for Five Innings in Mets’ Win Over Nationals," 13 July 2018 Israel, wary of threats in its neighborhood, has tried over the years to persuade North Korea to cease arms exports, dangling economic aid just as the Trump administration is doing now. — Andrew Jeong, WSJ, "North Korean Ex-Diplomat Says Blackmail Is Part of Regime’s Playbook," 8 July 2018 The contracts of Robin Lopez and Justin Holiday, who most certainly will be dangled at the February trade deadline to try to acquire more assets, will expire. — K.c. Johnson, chicagotribune.com, "Rising salary cap makes Zach LaVine deal more palatable for Bulls than it appears," 7 July 2018 Another photo showed his feet dangling over the edge of a tall building in Manhattan. — Kathleen Joyce, Fox News, "Man who fell to his death was thrill-seeker who shared snaps of his adventures on social media," 7 July 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.