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
There had always been a few Kennedy acolytes hanging around the block, Dean says, but that number has ballooned since Ryan Murphy’s Love Story premiered in February.
—Clio Chang, Curbed, 12 Mar. 2026
Boise State would hang around for the final two-minute period, which stretched to about 30 minutes of actual time, as both teams repeatedly sent each other to the free-throw line and called timeouts.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 10 Mar. 2026
Louisville had led from the opening whistle, but Miami hung around, staying within six for much of the second half, buoyed by unusually accurate free throw shooting from a team that struggled at the line all season.
—Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2026
Monday forecast The comfortable temperatures and north winds will not hang around long once low pressure develops to our north and opens the door to winds from a more southerly direction by Monday.
—Mary Wasson, Austin American Statesman, 8 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for hang around
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Clio Chang, Curbed, 12 Mar. 2026
Boise State would hang around for the final two-minute period, which stretched to about 30 minutes of actual time, as both teams repeatedly sent each other to the free-throw line and called timeouts.
—Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 10 Mar. 2026
Louisville had led from the opening whistle, but Miami hung around, staying within six for much of the second half, buoyed by unusually accurate free throw shooting from a team that struggled at the line all season.
—Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2026
Monday forecast The comfortable temperatures and north winds will not hang around long once low pressure develops to our north and opens the door to winds from a more southerly direction by Monday.
—Mary Wasson, Austin American Statesman, 8 Mar. 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 13 Mar. 2026.
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