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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After lightning delayed kickoff for an hour, Colleyville Heritage (1-1) fell behind quickly in a back-and-forth game.—
Jordan Neal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Sep. 2025
-
In the last few years, Beyoncé, Pink, and Noah Kahan, among others, have had concerts canceled or delayed by extreme lightning, rain, or wildfire smoke.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Yet with so many worries lingering, even after Shi’s attempt to reassure them, confidence is as low as at any time in his nine years at the helm.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The tension lingers throughout the meal, leaving the family divided.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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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
-
Further, there’s no excuse for Congress to continue dawdling on farm policy.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Notably, @TCUFootball did not poke fun at Belichick’s relationship with his 24-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
3 Sep. 2025
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There was a valley of veins moving over his hands, blue rivers poking underneath his hairless arms.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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That’s what was bumming him out.—
Emily Longeretta,
Variety,
3 Sep. 2025
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To be this close over and over is really bumming me out.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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On Wednesday, a similar scene closely followed as the funeral procession for Kansas City, Kansas, police officer Hunter Simoncic crawled along through the highways and streets in the community Simoncic worked to keep safe.—
Emily Curiel,
Kansas City Star,
3 Sep. 2025
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Eby crawled across a ladder over the water to the vehicle, then crawled back with the child on his back, the video shows.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But now, several hundred workers who were out over the water, working to get it up and running, have been idled.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
1 Sep. 2025
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On the runway, planes sat with engines idling, ground crews making final preparations as if departures could come at any moment — all as the courtroom battle played out hundreds of miles away in Washington.—
Valerie Gonzalez,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The cousin tried to drag Guzman away, and saw the shooter walk back inside the house.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
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Mitchell was then dragged outside to the valet area, and a female Hyatt employee grabbed a broomstick and struck Mitchell with it.—
Chris Ramirez,
jsonline.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dillydally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dillydally. Accessed 8 Sep. 2025.
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