dangle

verb

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dan·gle | \ ˈdaŋ-gəl

dangled; dangling\ ˈdaŋ-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

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 These giants should dangle the prospect of higher profits and industry expertise before key suppliers. — Marc Levinson, WSJ, 28 July 2022 The three chandeliers dangle from a tongue-and-groove ceiling and are seen fronting the tall brick fireplace wall. — oregonlive, 27 July 2022 But the schools dangle plenty of benefits for the Big Ten, including a robust presence in the nation’s second-largest television market and even smoother access to one of its richest recruiting bases. — New York Times, 30 June 2022 African wild dogs dangle from an outlying twig on the dog family tree, having separated from other canids some six million years ago and evolved in eccentric independence ever since. — New York Times, 20 June 2022 And some of the card issuers that serve up cash-back offers on streaming services also dangle the occasional rebate to use their cards for a wireless or broadband bill. — Rob Pegoraro, USA TODAY, 15 June 2022 So are Aysoy’s new necklaces that feature varying cuts of colored gemstones, along with her Tahitian black pearl Catena necklace,which sparkles with tiny pendant diamonds that dangle at different levels of the chain. — Kyle Roderick, Forbes, 9 June 2022 Unlike boring ordinary train lines that stay determinedly fixed to terra firma, suspension railways dangle beneath a track suspended from pylons. — Marcel Krueger, CNN, 16 May 2022 Even with an uptick in leasing, supply continues to reach records and landlords have to dangle incentives like months of free rent and tenant improvement allowances to get deals done. — Natalie Wong, Fortune, 10 May 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Noun Strands of electrical lighting dangle from the ceilings and sheets of translucent plastic are still attached to the walls – the sheets enabled the mushroom growers to create just the right temperature and humidity for the cultivation of fungi. — Nick Squires, The Christian Science Monitor, 4 Jan. 2022 That's a fine carrot-dangle for fun secrets, but earning skulls by beating side quests seems more fun to me. — Sam Machkovech, Ars Technica, 6 Dec. 2021 Kenneth Choi and Ethan Suplee dangle Jon Spinogatti from a building for The Wolf of Wall Street. — Vulture Editors, Vulture, 10 Dec. 2021 Cathy Waterman has created a rustic yet elegant alternative to the traditional diamond dangle. — Beth Bernstein, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2021 My final dangle over the desert floor felt almost casual. — Edmund Vallance, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2021 But while admitting this much, Mr. Manafort — seeing the dangle of a potential pardon from Mr. Trump — refused to cooperate further. — Charlie Savage, New York Times, 21 Sep. 2020 White rosary beads Garza threads through her fingers when there’s a need for prayer dangle at the ready on a shelf behind her sewing machine. — Vincent T. Davis, ExpressNews.com, 2 Mar. 2020 For the sparkly occasion, the went for an sequined one-shoulder version with a contrasting fuschia belt and accessorized with massive heart dangles. — Kelsey Stiegman, Seventeen, 2 Jan. 2020 See More

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.