DAWDLES Synonyms: 144 Similar and Opposite Words

dawdles

verb

present tense third-person singular of dawdle

as in lingers

to move or act slowly if you continue to dawdle, we'll be late for sure

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as in lazes

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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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.

Recent Examples of dawdles But Koreeda dawdles over all that without ever finding much dramatic nuance, making for a dullish midsection. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 16 May 2026 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

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dawdles

Verb

Nearly the entire group lingers in the living room—playing chess, swapping stories, exchanging photos.

— Johanna Wolfe, Robb Report, 22 Aug. 2026
As attendees make their way out of the venue, excitement lingers through the air.

— Kailyn Brown, Los Angeles Times, 21 Aug. 2026

Definition of lingers

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

Definition of idles

Verb

Nearly all report that the process contributes to burnout and delays care.

— Richard Menger MD MPA, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
Cellphone use before bed delays the natural drop in cortisol that teenagers need to fall asleep, according to Alice Hoagland, PhD, director of the Insomnia Clinic at the Rochester Regional Sleep Disorder Center.

— Samantha Agate, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Aug. 2026

Definition of delays

Verb

This not only improves blow flow in one particular region but also relaxes and widens blood vessels throughout the body, Kloner says.

— Will Stone, NPR, 17 Aug. 2026
This area of the Atlantic — called the main development region — should be getting very active at this point in a typical season as wind shear relaxes and ocean temperatures soar, providing tropical systems with ample fuel.

— Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of relaxes

Verb

Some of those embassy staff may start returning to their posts soon, however the State Department is still limiting the number of personnel in the Middle East as the war in Iran drags on.

— Greg Dixon, NPR, 21 Aug. 2026
But after years of unprecedented contributions to astronomy, the forces governing the cosmos are finally taking their toll as Earth’s gravitational pull slowly drags the telescope closer towards a point of no return.

— Andrew Paul, Popular Science, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of drags

Verb

Last year, the park said the plane now rests at shallower depths that do not require technical dive expertise.

— Elizabeth Wolfe, CNN Money, 21 Aug. 2026
Its sustainability case, if any, therefore rests for now on the unverified prospect that a durable, multipurpose outsole could extend shoe use or reduce the need for terrain-specific footwear.

— Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 20 Aug. 2026

Definition of rests

Verb

Hairy-nosed wombat births are hard to spot, as after about a 30-day pregnancy, the joey crawls into its mother’s pouch.

— Devoun Cetoute, Miami Herald, 16 Aug. 2026
Researchers have developed a new control framework that enables humanoid robots to perform agile movements, including army crawls, breakdancing and backflips.

— Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of crawls

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“Dawdles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dawdles. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of dawdles

verb

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