as in plodding
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as in strolling
to travel by foot for exercise or pleasure
the couple enjoys ambling along the many footpaths that meander through the park
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of ambling
Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
Another good ambling adventure is the Sculpture Trail, featuring works by local artists.
—Amy Thomas, Travel + Leisure, 12 May 2026
The question of true or false became a sensation in 1967 with the famous film shot by Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin in the Pacific Northwest, capturing a hairy figure ambling through a Northern California wood.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 8 May 2026
Few wallpapers can nurture a childhood love of Fauvism with so little effort, but this ambling and pastoral mural can raise your little one to appreciate the finer things in life.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 22 Apr. 2026
Though there was a thrilling edge to their early work—the lightning-in-a-bottle sample drill of Polo Perks and Moh Baretta, that spine-tingling Pasto Flocco run—it’s been dulled a bit in favor of ambling minimalism.
—Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 6 Apr. 2026
Forget cows ambling in biodiverse pastures.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Taken 34 more throw-ins than anyone in the division, but his game is about so much more than that particular set piece; has produced the most dribbles by a defender, is great on defensive duels and loves randomly ambling forward at all angles to cause carnage in the opposition third.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
And despite its ambling, almost shapeless nature, Who by Fire is never boring, because Lesage and his actors fill every scene with surprise and suspense.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Verb
And his discussion of Turgenev’s The Singers, an ambling story that leads us to a singing competition in an inn, reveals a much quieter social reversal.
—Literary Hub, 20 May 2026
Another good ambling adventure is the Sculpture Trail, featuring works by local artists.
—Amy Thomas, Travel + Leisure, 12 May 2026
The question of true or false became a sensation in 1967 with the famous film shot by Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin in the Pacific Northwest, capturing a hairy figure ambling through a Northern California wood.
—Andy Rose, CNN Money, 8 May 2026
Few wallpapers can nurture a childhood love of Fauvism with so little effort, but this ambling and pastoral mural can raise your little one to appreciate the finer things in life.
—Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 22 Apr. 2026
Though there was a thrilling edge to their early work—the lightning-in-a-bottle sample drill of Polo Perks and Moh Baretta, that spine-tingling Pasto Flocco run—it’s been dulled a bit in favor of ambling minimalism.
—Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 6 Apr. 2026
Forget cows ambling in biodiverse pastures.
—Patt Morrison, Los Angeles Times, 14 Feb. 2026
Taken 34 more throw-ins than anyone in the division, but his game is about so much more than that particular set piece; has produced the most dribbles by a defender, is great on defensive duels and loves randomly ambling forward at all angles to cause carnage in the opposition third.
—Tim Spiers, New York Times, 2 Jan. 2026
And despite its ambling, almost shapeless nature, Who by Fire is never boring, because Lesage and his actors fill every scene with surprise and suspense.
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 1 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for ambling
Adjective
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Brunson was too small (6-foot-2), not long enough (with a 6-foot-4 wingspan) and too plodding.—
Dana O’Neil,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
-
Neither is known for having much of an off-the-dribble game that could hurt the plodding Porzingis or Horford.—
Joseph Dycus,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Cue the family strolling through the superstore and shopping.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
28 May 2026
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The model wore a slinky black dress by Massimo Dutti while strolling around the town.—
Meg Walters,
InStyle,
27 May 2026
Verb
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Traveling even to a different Strip hotel could be bewildering, so tourists worn out by a day of wandering, people-watching and drinking didn’t seem to mind mediocre restaurants, content to stumble off to bed after a few turns at the tables.—
Winston Ross,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
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John Slattery in Vladimir, wandering around on the sidelines, knocking back cocktails and running out to the backyard every hour or so to make sure his lettuce has been adequately watered.—
Joe Reid,
Vulture,
29 May 2026
Verb
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Kane somehow manages to be a masterful playmaker and deadly striker at the same time, dropping deep to dictate the tempo of a game or spray a 50-yard pass, before sauntering into the box to top up that goal tally.—
The Athletic UK Staff,
New York Times,
22 May 2026
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Wrapped around a rubbery bassline that Peter ran through a guitar amp and played straight into a laptop, the song is confident and brassy, sauntering around as Kellie Eden’s trumpet cascades from above and the band’s co-vocalists provide pop harmonies.—
Nina Corcoran,
Pitchfork,
8 May 2026
Adjective
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Thomas missed 57 games last season, mostly because of the same lingering left hamstring issue.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2026
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On the one hand, that means that many survive the disease without serious lingering effects.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
18 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Lake Bachar pitched the first 2 2/3 innings for Miami, striking out three and walking one.—
CBS Miami Team,
CBS News,
3 June 2026
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The example shown in broad daylight for all to see was a career criminal who was released early by the Massachusetts Parole Board (no surprise there) walking down Memorial Drive in broad daylight, shooting indiscriminately.—
Toby Leary,
Boston Herald,
3 June 2026
Adjective
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For this Nuggets lineup, the average comes out to a pedestrian 6-9, with three capable perimeter defenders to assist the heavy-footed centers, two 40% 3-point shooters to space the floor, and a surplus of play-making talent.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
16 Oct. 2025
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The Knicks whipped the ball around the perimeter before Brunson used a Towns screen as a decoy to freeze Gobert and launch a pass to Anunoby that he’s forced to catch in stride and blow past the heavy-footed center for a bucket.—
James L. Edwards III,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Ambling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/ambling. Accessed 4 Jun. 2026.
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