1
as in delays
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 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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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of dawdles
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
Alison Willmore, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dawdles
Verb
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But that was before the arrival of teplizumab, a monoclonal antibody approved in late 2022 that delays the advance of the illness and may even halt it at stage 2 in some people.—
Tara Haelle,
Scientific American,
14 Oct. 2025
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That clogs the judicial system, wastes limited resources, and delays justice for those with legitimate grievances.—
Josh Hammer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Oct. 2025
Verb
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There are occasional reminders that the Mafia lingers.—
Preston Fore,
Fortune,
25 Oct. 2025
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The camera lingers for a few seconds on Miguel, in his new emotive state for the rest of his life, without Marta.—
John Hopewell,
Variety,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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The move comes as the federal government shutdown drags on into its fourth week with no end in sight, and Democrats and Republicans trading barbs and blame.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
28 Oct. 2025
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As the federal government shutdown drags on, tens of millions of people are at risk of losing food and nutrition aid as a result.—
NPR,
NPR,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Where is the mild varietal that recalls an afternoon garden, the smoke that relaxes without disorienting?—
Jahan Marcu,
Rolling Stone,
23 Oct. 2025
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The structure reopens and relaxes when conditions settle.—
Jijo Malayil,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Oct. 2025
Verb
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When a storm crawls like this, rainfall piles up over the same towns for days.—
Briana Waxman,
CNN Money,
24 Oct. 2025
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Everything except Eidra, who asks him not to leave and crawls into his arms.—
Sophie Brookover,
Vulture,
18 Oct. 2025
Verb
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In the clip, kwn points to Kehlani while Kehlani rests an arm on kwn’s shoulder.—
Mathew Rodriguez,
Them.,
29 Oct. 2025
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That argument rests on the fact that the scale includes not just category numbers and wind speeds but also notes about what kind of damage to expect from those winds.—
Meghan Bartels,
Scientific American,
29 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Who else pokes holes in this claim?—
U T Editorial Board,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
20 Oct. 2025
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Later in the episode, Kelce's cohost and brother, Jason Kelce, pokes fun at Lively's athleticism in a storyline that sees Bridget attend a soccer camp.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
7 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dawdles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dawdles. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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