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
Before building a vacuum train tube from L.A. to San Francisco, proponents must succeed with an 8-kilometer test track
Philip E. Ross
18 Dec 2015
8 min read
The Straight Road: Only when dawdling in the city can Hyperloop capsules handle more than a gentle curve.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 18 Dec. 2015
Instead, season three of The White Lotus dawdles too long, trying to save too much of the good stuff for the end.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2025
The showers are expected to dawdle in the area before exiting by early afternoon, the National Weather Service said in its forecast discussion.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2025
Federal officials have sometimes responded to adverse decisions with dawdling or grudging compliance.
—Hurubie Meko, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dawdle
IEEE Spectrum, 18 Dec. 2015
Instead, season three of The White Lotus dawdles too long, trying to save too much of the good stuff for the end.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2025
The showers are expected to dawdle in the area before exiting by early afternoon, the National Weather Service said in its forecast discussion.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2025
Federal officials have sometimes responded to adverse decisions with dawdling or grudging compliance.
—Hurubie Meko, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dawdle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dawdle
Verb
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There's also great uncertainty as Trump seeks negotiations with China and begins talks with other counties whose larger tariffs were delayed by 90 days.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
21 Apr. 2025
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Research suggests that females who have autism are more likely to use this strategy, which can lead to a mismatch between the internal experience and the external behavior—and may play a role in delaying diagnosis.1 4.—
Heidi Moawad, MD,
Verywell Health,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Private patios are planted with succulents and shaded by native trees, while the center of the property is anchored by a sunken dipping pool and communal fire pit perfect for lingering evenings and slow conversations.—
Michaela Trimble,
Vogue,
28 Apr. 2025
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Managers don’t always appreciate lingering legacies.—
Phil Hay,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
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For a more cushioned New Balance option, consider the Fresh Foam 1080s, which Glamour contributor and marathoner Jenny McCoy swears by for both long-distance running and casual neighborhood strolling.—
Malia Griggs,
Glamour,
1 May 2025
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His goal was to capture that throwback feeling of aimless summer days strolling down the boardwalk with the frozen snack in hand in his Lemon Italian Ice flavor.—
Rachel Chang,
Travel + Leisure,
26 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Freya crawled on top of her, interrupting the seizure.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
27 Apr. 2025
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Continue to update your site with new, high-quality blogs, and search engines will more frequently crawl your site.—
Tonia Ryan,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The horrific crimes came to light after an MTA train conductor found the dead man, believed to be in his 40s, facedown on the floor of an idling R train at the Whitehall St. subway stop in lower Manhattan about 12:30 a.m.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
15 Apr. 2025
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The plans for the idling come weeks after a Detroit Free Press report said hundreds of BrightDrop vehicles were lining a storage lot in Flint, Michigan.—
Michael Wayland,
CNBC,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The officers then dragged Feliz out of his car, pulling his pants down and exposing his genitals in the process.—
Lourdes Rosado,
New York Daily News,
30 Apr. 2025
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On the flip side, Jamal Murray dragged the Clippers for 43 points.—
Law Murray,
New York Times,
30 Apr. 2025
Verb
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About 73 percent of respondents say that rangefinders capable of lazing targets beyond 1,000 yards align with fair-chase considerations and support their use in hunting.—
Andrew McKean,
Outdoor Life,
10 Jan. 2025
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And if that interest is lazing by the beach, transfers to local beach clubs will be offered as well.—
Laurie Werner,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Antetokounmpo poked the ball away from Nembhard briefly and a scramble ensued, but the Pacers came up with the ball.—
Eric Nehm,
New York Times,
20 Apr. 2025
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Underneath, a dress in a nearly identical shade poked through slightly, and the actress paired her all-gray attire with black pumps and a matching purse — plus her signature blonde bob, of course.—
Bailey Richards,
People.com,
19 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dawdle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dawdle. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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