1
as in delayed
to move or act slowly
if you continue to dawdle, we'll be late for sure
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lazied
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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dawdled
But, lucky for anyone who dawdled, many of the deals are still active.
—
Adam Campbell-Schmitt,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 June 2026
Flight attendants turned into drill sergeants, barking at passengers who flouted mask rules or dawdled too long eating that snack with the mask off.
—
Thomas Black,
Twin Cities,
21 Dec. 2025
Fava snuffled and dawdled and took her own sweet time up the sidewalk.
—
Dan Kois,
New Yorker,
17 Sep. 2025
Adam Campbell-Schmitt,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
27 June 2026
Flight attendants turned into drill sergeants, barking at passengers who flouted mask rules or dawdled too long eating that snack with the mask off.
—
Thomas Black,
Twin Cities,
21 Dec. 2025
Fava snuffled and dawdled and took her own sweet time up the sidewalk.
—
Dan Kois,
New Yorker,
17 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dawdled
Verb
-
Tuesday night’s showdown with Ecuador was delayed by an hour because of lightning.
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First, a five-year closing process delayed the project, which was supposed to be completed by 2021.
Verb
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In the living room, a tabby cat with a clipped ear lounged on a velvet couch, her front paws propping open an illustrated catalogue of military aircraft.
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The couple giggled between kisses and lounged on a red-and-white picnic blanket while overlooking the Pacific Ocean.
Verb
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After being denied by Cuba, the ship approached Florida and lingered offshore, so close the passengers could see the lights of Miami.
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Steven Rinella's symptoms, on the other hand, lingered for months, leaving him unable to walk down stairs without a handrail or to ride a bike.
Verb
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To my surprise, Conway showed up, walking Clyde; Bores strolled past me in a dark suit.
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Others strolled barefoot through the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, named after a courageous man who fought for freedom, not for presidents.
Verb
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But as the crisis dragged on over six days and pressure from the families of the hostages grew, Israeli leaders gradually became more open to talks, according to a summary of the files released by the Israel State Archives.
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Around Christmas 2024 the Estlink 2 cable between Finland and Estonia went down after a shadow-fleet tanker, the Eagle S, dragged its anchor across the seabed.
Verb
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Further on, sandy-colored cows lazed in the mid-morning sun.
Verb
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Chelsea Green crawled from under the ring and evened the odds.
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The animal eventually crawled under a dock.
Verb
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The show’s characters idled away their time watching programs like Years of Our Days to Live.
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In fact, Airbus was collecting orders and making deliveries while Boeing idled due to the bans and delays imposed by the CAAC.
Cite this Entry
“Dawdled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dawdled. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.
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