1
as in to delay
to move or act slowly
if you continue to dawdle, we'll be late for sure
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to lazy
to spend time doing nothing
accused the city council of dawdling even as the crime rate was spiraling out of control
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Recent Examples of dawdle
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
Further, there’s no excuse for Congress to continue dawdling on farm policy.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
But don’t dawdle too long: Mykonian nightlife is just minutes away.
—Chadner Navarro, Vogue, 16 July 2025
As if aware that engaging plot is not the story’s strongest suit, Nicholaw keeps his foot on the accelerator throughout, making sure nothing and no one dawdles as the production hurtles from one incident to the next.
—David Benedict, Variety, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dawdle
Alison Willmore, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
Further, there’s no excuse for Congress to continue dawdling on farm policy.
—The Editorial Board, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2025
But don’t dawdle too long: Mykonian nightlife is just minutes away.
—Chadner Navarro, Vogue, 16 July 2025
As if aware that engaging plot is not the story’s strongest suit, Nicholaw keeps his foot on the accelerator throughout, making sure nothing and no one dawdles as the production hurtles from one incident to the next.
—David Benedict, Variety, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dawdle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dawdle
Verb
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In recent years, some Wyandotte residents have tried to get the government to delay or cancel its tax sales, which usually happen twice a year, to prevent people who have struggled to pay sky-rocketing property tax bills from losing their family homes.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
18 Oct. 2025
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The continued closure of the Rafah crossing is preventing delivery of equipment needed to find dead hostages and will therefore delay recovery efforts, Hamas said, according to Reuters.—
Mandy Taheri,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Chad Molter, executive director of Boulder’s Harvest of Hope Pantry, is also worried about how the lingering government shutdown could surge demand.—
Elizabeth Hernandez,
Denver Post,
16 Oct. 2025
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After seeing consistent playing time following his February 2024 trade from Memphis and hitting a clutch 3-pointer to help Boston win Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals against Dallas, Tillman tumbled down the depth chart in 2024-25, the result of poor shooting and lingering knee issues.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
16 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Head to Harrison Pumpkin Festival to pick out the most gourd-geous pumpkin, or sip on a pumpkin spice latte and stroll through Charm at the Farm's October Market to find the perfect fall decor for the home.—
Caroline Ritzie,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
15 Oct. 2025
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Take time to stroll along the riverfront for some of the best fall scenery in town.—
Chantelle Kincy,
Travel + Leisure,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The innovation could pave the way for medical tools that move through the body’s arteries or inspection devices that crawl into complex machinery.—
Neetika Walter,
Interesting Engineering,
16 Oct. 2025
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Over three hours, small groups navigate a challenging underground world, scrambling over boulders, belly-crawling through narrow passages, and squeezing through tight spaces to discover hidden marble wonders.—
Heide Brandes,
AFAR Media,
15 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Difficulty accelerating, misfiring, shuttering, and rough idling can indicate bad gasoline.—
Kamron Sanders,
Better Homes & Gardens,
19 Oct. 2025
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In practice, though, the production rate fell well below the ceiling last year as the company contended with investigations and a machinists’ strike that idled factories for almost eight weeks.—
Emma Burleigh,
Fortune,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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His low cross found Pascal Gross for a tap-in at the far post after Luke Shaw had been dragged central trying to cut off Adam Lallana.—
Laurie Whitwell,
New York Times,
23 Oct. 2025
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Vader moves the blade, raises it, but the shadow seems to only deepen, the pull of the dark side suddenly stronger, a riptide that threatens to drag him under.—
Dalton Ross,
Entertainment Weekly,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Instead of setting up a spot on the sand, beachgoers typically pitch their chairs in the shallow clear blue water and laze the day away.—
Miami Herald Archives,
Miami Herald,
27 Sep. 2025
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Conrad is literally ready to skip his whole Brussels conference in order to laze around in bed with Belly for the next several days, but Belly has cold feet.—
Kathleen Walsh,
Vulture,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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One poked his head into the live shot and later stuck his hand into the frame, seemingly seeking a fist bump from the reporter.—
Abigail Adams,
PEOPLE,
20 Oct. 2025
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Kean himself gets a tattoo hand-poked into his skin and applies medieval salves to his wounds.—
The New Yorker,
New Yorker,
20 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dawdle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dawdle. Accessed 24 Oct. 2025.
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