as in leisurely
moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed
a mysterious, cloaked figure with a strange, dragging walk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in pulling
to cause to follow by applying steady force on
the deliveryman dragged the barrels over against the wall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in delaying
to move or act slowly
one of the climbers was beginning to drag
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in crawling
to move slowly
the play dragged and seemed to take forever to get to its predictable conclusion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dragging
Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 31 Mar. 2026
The SaaSpocalypse, ultimately, was a knee-jerk, existential reaction to where AI is (slowly, in many contexts) dragging the tech stack.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
My previous shoots had involved haphazardly dragging equipment across town, stopping every few feet to pant.
—Lena Dunham, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Wipe the blade with a lint-free cloth after each pass to avoid dragging dirty water back across the glass.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
That said, its opposition to severe Pluto presses against your dependable 6th house, potentially dragging you away from rest.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2026
Punch took the world by storm after images of him dragging the orange plushy behind him circulated on social media, causing such a stir that the zoo has since made special rules to accommodate the influx of visitors.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
With negotiations dragging, hundreds of TSA agents have quit during the partial shutdown and thousands of others have called out of work.
—Dallas Morning News, 24 Mar. 2026
The Lebanese government has been critical of Iran and accuses its Revolutionary Guard of operating in Lebanon alongside Hezbollah, and dragging the country into another war with Israel.
—CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Verb
But right now, while the press is still bad and the lawsuits are still dragging, sellers should take a breath.
—Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 31 Mar. 2026
The SaaSpocalypse, ultimately, was a knee-jerk, existential reaction to where AI is (slowly, in many contexts) dragging the tech stack.
—Allie Garfinkle, Fortune, 31 Mar. 2026
My previous shoots had involved haphazardly dragging equipment across town, stopping every few feet to pant.
—Lena Dunham, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Wipe the blade with a lint-free cloth after each pass to avoid dragging dirty water back across the glass.
—Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 2026
That said, its opposition to severe Pluto presses against your dependable 6th house, potentially dragging you away from rest.
—Tarot.com, Hartford Courant, 27 Mar. 2026
Punch took the world by storm after images of him dragging the orange plushy behind him circulated on social media, causing such a stir that the zoo has since made special rules to accommodate the influx of visitors.
—Mary Walrath-Holdridge, USA Today, 26 Mar. 2026
With negotiations dragging, hundreds of TSA agents have quit during the partial shutdown and thousands of others have called out of work.
—Dallas Morning News, 24 Mar. 2026
The Lebanese government has been critical of Iran and accuses its Revolutionary Guard of operating in Lebanon alongside Hezbollah, and dragging the country into another war with Israel.
—CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dragging
Adjective
-
So the coming months are a period for cocktails in bigger glasses, vessels that welcome more liquid for more leisurely sipping.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
20 Mar. 2026
-
Otherwise, consider the more posh neighborhoods of Chelsea and Kensington—ideal for leisurely days spent browsing boutiques and art galleries or strolling over to Notting Hill for coffee and craft bakeries.—
Katharine Sohn,
Architectural Digest,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Then, as the pandemic waned, in 2023 and early ’24, came two jolts to the system – federal pandemic-era assistance ended, pulling food and food-related funding away from charities, and the number of people seeking food continued to grow.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
-
The trio rebuild the tower and Guerrero goes up again, pulling the line for about four minutes more before the group takes down the tower, wheels the cart away from the window and walks away.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Are clients delaying decisions on big investments?—
Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson,
semafor.com,
3 Apr. 2026
-
Others called it a performative move that contrasts with the EPA’s recent regulatory actions, including a rollback of mercury emissions standards, rescinding drinking water limits for certain PFAS and delaying Biden-era restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions.—
Erika Edwards,
NBC news,
2 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Until Isaacman’s program makeover, Artemis III was crawling toward a moon landing no sooner than 2029.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
2 Apr. 2026
-
One provider recommended a different formula, but Laura responded that her son was burning calories by kicking in his bed, crawling and wheeling around in his wheelchair.—
Amelia Mugavero,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
In fact, businesses hired workers at their slowest pace since 2011, excluding the onset of the pandemic in 2020.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
3 Apr. 2026
-
The area’s large tourist population contributes a constant volume of unfamiliar drivers to already heavily congested roads, with traffic patterns that shift significantly between peak tourist season and the summer months but never truly slow to manageable levels on the area’s major corridors.—
Anton Lucanus
April 3,
Miami Herald,
3 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Truckers also often don’t get paid for months after hauling a load.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2026
-
The city of Denver is granting ten restaurants up to $3,600 to pay for one year’s worth of compost hauling ahead of a new rule that will require every restaurant in the city to start composting.—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The primary suite is described as storage-rich and spa-like, with multiple closets and a bath built for lingering.—
David Caraccio,
Sacbee.com,
31 Mar. 2026
-
In our present moment, as the production and consumption of hot takes continues to accelerate, there is a powerful form of resistance to be found in lingering with the unfamiliar, in offering attention without the promise of a quick take-away.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
The technology is sweeping almost every profession while also creeping into people’s personal lives, sometimes with devastating consequences.—
Sharon Bernstein,
Sacbee.com,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Her works explored Oedipal urges and creeping fascism.—
Laura Regensdorf,
Vogue,
31 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dragging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dragging. Accessed 5 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
