dallies

Definition of dalliesnext
present tense third-person singular of dally
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as in flirts
to show a sexual attraction for someone just for fun she spent the summer dallying with a guy renting the neighboring beach house

Synonyms & Similar Words

4

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dallies
Verb
  • As Cuenca plays a ball to the feet of his striker, Wilson dashes in the other direction, delaying Ibrahima Konate’s forward jump because the centre-back knows Bradley is unable to track both him and Robinson at the same time.
    Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
  • In the dark romantic comedy-drama, True Blood alum Skarsgård, 49, plays tough biker Ray, who enters into a dominant-submissive relationship with Colin (Melling), a shy and directionless man who sings in a barbershop quartet.
    Eric Andersson, PEOPLE, 7 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Nearly every sound lingers like an unanswered question, and the scant bass drums that appear in most tracks are less for keeping time than providing anchor points in an inestimable nebula.
    Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 29 Jan. 2026
  • Drought lingers statewide, and Monroe’s water supply is down to about six months, officials said in an online statement Wednesday.
    Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • Opening with a melancholic harmonica that flirts with a country twang, the track feels unfiltered as Eric Aragón (real name) sings of regret and the sting of love gone wrong.
    Natalia Cano, Billboard, 16 Jan. 2026
  • At the party, Gerry Wade (Corey Mylchreest) flirts endearingly with Bundle.
    Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 15 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • The scenes that work less well and seem virtually superfluous are those with Kumail Nanjiani as Adeel, an environmental activist who drags Aaron along with him to break into a fracking site that is disturbing the breeding ground of…the sage grouse.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 27 Jan. 2026
  • The agent sprays Pretti with a chemical irritant and drags him to his knees as Pretti pulls at the backpack of the other bystander, potentially reaching for a water bottle.
    Thomas Bordeaux, CNN Money, 25 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • But while the new movie dawdles on its way to Toxie’s origins, then rushes toward a finale with a lurching rhythm that verges on calculated ineptitude, its spirit never feels inauthentic.
    Alison Willmore, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Defenses applied the same concepts, too, emphasizing full-court pressure, which delays the opposing attack.
    Fred Katz, New York Times, 9 Jan. 2026
  • The order specifically delays a 30% duty on upholstered furniture and 50% levy on kitchen cabinets and vanities, keeping in place a 25% tariff on those goods that was imposed back in September.
    Sean Conlon,Fred Imbert, CNBC, 2 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • As your car idles, warm air blown from the top of your dashboard will melt the ice on the outside of the windshield.
    Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 27 Dec. 2025
  • Security camera footage shows a black vehicle park in front of Café Bernardo, a restaurant, and idles for about two minutes.
    Madisen Keavy, CBS News, 17 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • John Tufts The weather outside is about to get frightful as a potentially dangerous winter storm crawls its way across the country.
    John Tufts, IndyStar, 23 Jan. 2026
  • In the video, the coyote crawls out of the water and struggles to get his footing once on the rocks.
    Amanda Hari, CBS News, 20 Jan. 2026
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.

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Cite this Entry

“Dallies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dallies. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.

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