dangled; dangling
ˈdaŋ-g(ə-)liŋ 
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
1
: to cause to dangle : swing
dangled her feet in the water
2
a
: to keep hanging uncertainly
b
: to hold out as an inducement
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
Elias Burke, New York Times, 17 Aug. 2025
In many of the images, crucifixes are seen visibly dangling from their necks or sewn onto clothing.
—Tess Owen, Wired News, 14 Aug. 2025
Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 17 Aug. 2025
This medieval village was built onto a cliff overlooking the sea, where you can get lost in the narrow lanes amidst crumbling buildings where laundry dangles on clotheslines.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dangle
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Verb
And with designs of representing their respective countries at next year’s World Cup, the most precious carrot in football is dangling in front of them to fuel the fight for Tottenham’s No 9 shirt.
—Elias Burke, New York Times, 17 Aug. 2025
In many of the images, crucifixes are seen visibly dangling from their necks or sewn onto clothing.
—Tess Owen, Wired News, 14 Aug. 2025
Noun
The nursery consists of coral fragments that dangle from hangman structures that the Coral Restoration Foundation put 30 feet under the surface.
—Ashley Miznazi, Miami Herald, 17 Aug. 2025
This medieval village was built onto a cliff overlooking the sea, where you can get lost in the narrow lanes amidst crumbling buildings where laundry dangles on clotheslines.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 11 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dangle
Cite this Entry
“Dangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dangle. Accessed 25 Aug. 2025.
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