hang around
verb
hung around; hanging around; hangs around
1
intransitive,
informal
a
: to pass time idly or in relaxing or socializing
spent the day just hanging around with her friends
b
: to stay in or at a place for a period of time
had to hang around for over an hour, waiting for the bus
She didn't feel like hanging around at the club afterward …—
David Calder
David Calder2
transitive
informal
: to pass time or stay in or at (a place) or in the company of (someone)
hung around the house all day
My mother doesn't want me hanging around the park alone.—Judy Blume
Judy BlumeWhen he was 10 years old, Lester taught him-self to windsurf by hanging around the Europeans and Canadian tourists who rented boards on the beach at Varadero.—Sam Moses
Sam MosesExamples of hang around in a Sentence
if you hang around until my husband gets home, you can meet him
Recent Examples on the Web
But the Sabres are no longer content just hanging around with the best teams in the conference.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Grits Don’t let those snowy little grit granules fool you—they aren’t meant to hang around for too long waiting for their moment in the sun.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026
In his on-court interview to cap Day 13, Djokovic thanked Court for hanging around to witness him end a streak of five losses to Sinner, and also snap a run of four semifinal defeats at the Grand Slam tournaments.
—Arkansas Online, 1 Feb. 2026
The Memphis area is not expected to get above freezing temperatures for multiple days, so the snow on the ground and on roadways might hang around for a while.
—Brooke Muckerman, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hang around
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Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 4 Feb. 2026
Grits Don’t let those snowy little grit granules fool you—they aren’t meant to hang around for too long waiting for their moment in the sun.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 4 Feb. 2026
In his on-court interview to cap Day 13, Djokovic thanked Court for hanging around to witness him end a streak of five losses to Sinner, and also snap a run of four semifinal defeats at the Grand Slam tournaments.
—Arkansas Online, 1 Feb. 2026
The Memphis area is not expected to get above freezing temperatures for multiple days, so the snow on the ground and on roadways might hang around for a while.
—Brooke Muckerman, Memphis Commercial Appeal, 31 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hang around
Cite this Entry
“Hang around.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hang%20around. Accessed 9 Feb. 2026.
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