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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dawdled
Fava snuffled and dawdled and took her own sweet time up the sidewalk.
—
Dan Kois, New Yorker, 17 Sep. 2025
Dan Kois, New Yorker, 17 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dawdled
Verb
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Two out of three lanes are closed and traffic is delayed on the inner loop of Interstate 485 in northwest Charlotte after a tractor trailer overturned Tuesday morning.—
Jeff A. Chamer,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Oct. 2025
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What Happens Next The longer the government shutdown takes to resolve, the more likely additional programs could be impacted and delayed, according to Newsom’s office.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Some doubts still lingered as to whether Jax was, indeed, Gracie's puppy.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
25 Oct. 2025
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Some people drained their toilet bowls in order to breathe air through the plumbing as the smoke lingered and covered them in yellow soot.—
Julia Coin,
Charlotte Observer,
23 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In that pic, Fletcher lounged on the end, giving a thumbs up.—
Andy Greder,
Twin Cities,
23 Oct. 2025
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As the action took place, the fashionable crowd lounged on the beautifully landscaped outdoor dining area, grazing on the pies and taking pictures of the sea.—
Jacqui Gifford,
Travel + Leisure,
29 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Stephens said there were signs of a struggle, and Thomas' body had been dragged about 180 feet into the woods.—
Bill Bowden,
Arkansas Online,
24 Oct. 2025
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Whether the week dragged or flew by, the weekend has arrived — and so have a host of events across the Sacramento region, from family outings and concerts to high school football and college sports.—
Marcus Smith,
Sacbee.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Less than two hours before the Raptors were scheduled to begin their home season with a game against the Milwaukee Bucks, head coach Darko Rajaković strolled into a small room adjacent to the team’s locker room, as usual.—
Eric Koreen,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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On Thursday, April 3, Carey and Monroe strolled into the room while Moroccan was live on the streaming platform Twitch for about 10 minutes playing video games with friends.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Modern Wall Street has killed just about everything cool that walks or crawled at one time or another.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
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The van’s driver then crawled out of his vehicle’s window, crossed over a median and was instantly struck by a car speeding in the opposite direction, which was broadcast by the news helicopter following the chase.—
Brian Niemietz,
Mercury News,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Aeration is the process of creating air spaces in a lawn, usually via 3-inch holes poked into the soil at regular intervals.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Oct. 2025
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Several poked fun at the moment through lighthearted comments, while others expressed how their own canines also like to fill their days with an abundance of naps.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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And in Michigan, Cliffs owns and operates the Tilden Mine near Ishpeming and the adjacent Empire Mine, which has been idled since 2016.—
Jimmy Lovrien,
Twin Cities,
20 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
Cite this Entry
“Dawdled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dawdled. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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