dwell

verb

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\ ˈdwel

dwelled\ ˈdweld

, ˈdwelt \ or dwelt\ ˈdwelt

\; dwelling

Definition of dwell

intransitive verb

1 : to remain for a time dwell in the hallway

2a : to live as a resident the town in which he dwelled for eight years the dwelling place of the gods

b : exist, lie where the heart of the matter dwells

3a : to keep the attention directed —used with on or upon tried not to dwell on my fears

b : to speak or write insistently —used with on or upon reporters dwelling on the recent scandal

Other Words from dwell Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Phrases Containing dwell Learn More About dwell

Examples of dwell in a Sentence

a cave where bats dwell dwelling with a farm family as an exchange student in France

Recent Examples on the Web Cruisers rarely venture below the waterline, but that is where investors should dwell. — Laura Forman, WSJ, 26 June 2022 Rather than dwell on post-pandemic hiring challenges, now is a great time for companies to identify current employee personas, backgrounds and interests that might signal their potential as citizen developers who can lead LCNC initiatives. — Vishwastam Shukla, Forbes, 15 June 2022 Perrotta’s sympathies often flow toward the margins of his fiction, where some of his most interesting characters dwell. — Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 13 June 2022 Come for the Instagram-worth cover, and stay for a few chapters where Brown veers away from history to dwell in what could have been for the Queen's sister. — Caroline Hallemann, Town & Country, 26 Apr. 2022 His intentions for Finney and his previous victims are plainly nauseating, though the film wisely doesn’t dwell on the clinical details or the underlying pathology. — Michael O'sullivan, Washington Post, 22 June 2022 Johnson's high-school heroics, national championship at Michigan State and NBA title as a rookie are all well documented, which might explain why director Rick Famuyiwa gives them their due but doesn't necessarily dwell on them. — Brian Lowry, CNN, 22 Apr. 2022 The article briefly mentioned Jon but did not dwell on him. — Danielle Lindemann, The Atlantic, 13 Feb. 2022 Brodie, like the show itself, doesn't necessarily dwell on good or bad, but exists, like life itself, somewhere in between. — Lester Fabian Brathwaite, EW.com, 9 June 2022 See More

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