1
as in to delay
to move or act slowly
don't dillydally on the way to the store
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to lazy
to spend time doing nothing
restaurant employees who, during the slow periods, would rather be doing something instead of just dillydallying
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dillydally
There was the tapping of the top of the bat to his toes, scribbling in the dirt, adjusting his gloves and swiping his shoulder, among other displays of dillydallying.
—
Anna Brand, CNN, 30 Mar. 2023
Bathroom breaks and other excuses for dillydallying give your heart rate a chance to return to normal.
—Elizabeth Narins, Cosmopolitan, 22 May 2015
Anna Brand, CNN, 30 Mar. 2023
Bathroom breaks and other excuses for dillydallying give your heart rate a chance to return to normal.
—Elizabeth Narins, Cosmopolitan, 22 May 2015
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dillydally
Verb
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Democratic state lawmakers are still attempting to delay efforts from Republicans who are trying to redraw Texas’ 38 congressional districts, which could help Republicans pick up as many as five seats in the House of Representatives.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
5 Aug. 2025
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Health care may include the use of hormones to delay puberty in adolescents, behavioral health counseling to support and promote the gender identity with which a person aligns, and hormone replacement therapy.—
Natalie Eilbert,
jsonline.com,
5 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Debt from a 2018 restructuring lingered and mall traffic, especially in secondary locations, continued to decline.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
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Even as Andrew James McGann sits in jail accused of the ghastly double murder of parents on a hike at a state park in the Ozark Mountains, key questions linger about the motive.—
Alisha Ebrahimji,
CNN Money,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
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But don’t dawdle too long: Mykonian nightlife is just minutes away.—
Chadner Navarro,
Vogue,
16 July 2025
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As if aware that engaging plot is not the story’s strongest suit, Nicholaw keeps his foot on the accelerator throughout, making sure nothing and no one dawdles as the production hurtles from one incident to the next.—
David Benedict,
Variety,
24 June 2025
Verb
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The premiere episode was a hot topic not only among viewership and the media but within the White House as Parker and Stone brutally poked fun at President Donald Trump in both animated and live-action deepfake form.—
Tim Lammers,
Forbes.com,
6 Aug. 2025
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One video captured by beachgoers Annie Kremer and Connor Pelt and shared on TikTok shows the animals coming within feet of people standing in the sand, and the shark's fins poking out above the water as the massive stingray juts into view.—
Charlotte Phillipp,
People.com,
4 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Sandler, because of that punim of his, is good at playing bummed, but this scene demanded more shading — anger, charm, cockiness.—
Jesse David Fox,
Vulture,
30 July 2025
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But, yeah, I was bummed to kind of put the team in that spot.—
Doug Padilla,
Oc Register,
25 July 2025
Verb
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Adam crawls along the floor, left, about to put his finger in an electrical outlet, right, while his baby watches from afar.—
Daniella Gray,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Aug. 2025
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This setup enabled the robots to crawl using sequential contractions and relaxation—much like a caterpillar.—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
12 Aug. 2025
Verb
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It is hoped that motorists will leave their vehicles at home, avoid idling their engines or using drive-thru lanes, and instead use public transport or car shares to lessen the impact on the environment.—
Chloe Mayer,
MSNBC Newsweek,
29 July 2025
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The truck idled for three minutes, then four minutes, then five.—
Clare Sestanovich,
New Yorker,
13 July 2025
Verb
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One person would hold the rod and drag ashore a thrashing, 200-pound sawfish.—
Jack Prator,
The Orlando Sentinel,
16 Aug. 2025
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In doing so, the currents drag swimmers out into open waters.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
16 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dillydally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dillydally. Accessed 20 Aug. 2025.
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