dwell

verb \ ˈdwel \

|Updated on: 17 Aug 2018

Examples: dwell in a Sentence

Definition of dwell

dwelled play \ˈdweld, ˈdwelt\ or dwelt play \ˈdwelt\; dwelling

intransitive verb

1 : to remain for a time

dwell in the hallway

2 a : 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

3 a : 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

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dweller

play \ˈdwe-lər\ noun

See dwell defined for English-language learners

See dwell defined for kids

Examples of dwell in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of dwell from the Web

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won the Democratic primary in June in the 14th district next door, advocating a brand of democratic socialism that aims to take power away from the rich Democrats who dwell in lower Manhattan.

— The Economist, "The L wordWho is a Democrat?," 12 July 2018
There is a future, a distant one, in which Reddit still exists, in which sweet-faced creatures like Snoo merrily dwell.

— arielle pardes, WIRED, "The Transformative Power of Reddit's Alien Mascot," 6 July 2018
The large-antlered muntjac, a small species of deer that dwells in the Annamite mountains of Vietnam and Laos, is dangling dangerously close to extinction.

— brigit katz, Smithsonian, "Rare Sighting of Small, Critically Endangered Deer Reported in Vietnam," 26 May 2018
The Pads dwelled in a mini-West that numbered only four teams.

— tom krasovic, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Three NL West rivals still on track to soften in Padres' target year of 2020," 25 May 2018
But children’s vivid imaginations, dwelling in the border country between Neverland and adults’ more narrowly drawn reality, can tilt in an instant between dreamscape and nightmare.

— mike fischer, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Treasure the pirate in First Stage's 'Judy Moody and Stink'," 5 May 2018
After dwelling in the AFC West basement for a few years, the Chargers finished second last season in the division and are showing signs of life under Anthony Lynn.

— jonathan jones, SI.com, "The 10 Must-Watch Games on the 2018 NFL Schedule," 19 Apr. 2018
This platform will employ unmanned systems to penetrate and dwell in contested environments, operating at greater risk to gain sensor and weapons advantages over the adversary.

— sean gallagher, Ars Technica, "Five frigate finalists fingered for FFG(X) fight by Navy," 20 Feb. 2018
Marjorie Louise Combs, born 01/20/1942 and left this life on 01/03/2018 to dwell in Heavenly Places with her savior Jesus Christ, family and friends who had gone on before.

— orlando sentinel, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Deaths in Central Florida: 1/7," 7 Jan. 2018

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.