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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President Trump delayed his decision on whether attack Iran for two weeks following a Thursday sighting of Steve Bannon at the White House.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
19 June 2025
-
These actions did not fully block the strait but caused sharp increases in shipping insurance premiums and delayed maritime traffic.—
Isabel van Brugen,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
Verb
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Each time a child left, the emotional toll was unbearable, and the sadness lingered long after they were gone.—
Valerie Mesa,
People.com,
27 June 2025
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However, there are lingering threats of electronic interference that can impact a ship’s navigation systems with high levels reported during dark periods, JMIC says.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
26 June 2025
Verb
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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
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Some of this feels more like dawdling: What's the point of Stick's cynical old buddy (Marc Maron) getting trapped under a fold-out bed?—
Tom Gliatto,
People.com,
4 June 2025
Verb
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Cunningham came to the defense of her teammate Clark, retaliating with less than a minute left on the clock after, earlier in the game, the Fever's superstar player was poked in the eye and then knocked to the ground by two separate Sun players.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
19 June 2025
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Then, during a play midway through the third quarter, Clark got poked in the eye by Sheldon and responded by giving the Sun star another shove.—
Chuck Schilken,
Los Angeles Times,
18 June 2025
Verb
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The graduate is not only bummed about the sister’s absence.—
Brian Anthony Hernandez,
People.com,
25 May 2025
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Everyone — from those actually paying to the ones still bumming a log-in — wants to know how Netflix and other streaming services’ crackdowns on password sharing affect them.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
20 May 2025
Verb
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To make the stakes even higher, Player 39 crawls to the edge after the round ends.—
Jennifer Zhan,
Vulture,
27 June 2025
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The next day, at 9:10 p.m., Boelter crawled out of a wooded area and surrendered to law enforcement.—
N'dea Yancey-Bragg,
USA Today,
27 June 2025
Verb
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That new boom idled for a decade until Vladimir Putin created a commodities frenzy by invading Ukraine, one of the world’s most important ag exporters.—
Edward Lotterman,
Twin Cities,
15 June 2025
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Port roads jammed with diesel trucks, oil refineries processing fuel, ships idling to be unloaded, make for some of the worst air in the state.—
Patt Morrison,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2025
Verb
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But by the late 1970s, as negotiations over a treaty dragged on, Congress grew receptive to industry lobbyists seeking legislation that would protect their investments in mining sites beyond U.S. maritime jurisdiction.—
Time,
Time,
17 June 2025
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What were the final few days like? Exhausting and dragging on.—
Kate Aurthur,
Variety,
17 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dillydally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dillydally. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
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