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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If your flight is canceled or significantly delayed due to the cuts, you’re legally entitled to a cash refund, not just some future credit.—
The Kim Komando Show,
FOXNews.com,
8 Nov. 2025
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According to the flight status report on the Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport/Adams Field website Friday, the airport had delayed arrivals from Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago and Houston, and canceled flights from Charlotte and Salt Lake City.—
JOSH FUNK,
Arkansas Online,
8 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The overnight storm was likely triggered by a glancing CME arrival that combined with lingering effects from a high-speed solar wind stream, according to NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC).—
Daisy Dobrijevic,
Space.com,
6 Nov. 2025
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Yet concerns also linger that the market’s gains are increasingly reliant on tech companies.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
6 Nov. 2025
Verb
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My request to ownership is don’t dawdle.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
19 Oct. 2025
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Ticket availability is scant as of this writing, don’t dawdle (with Jon Muq.—
Aaron Davis,
Sacbee.com,
6 Oct. 2025
Verb
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But as the stalemate has dragged on, some Democrats have been looking for a way out.—
Nathaniel Weixel,
The Hill,
6 Nov. 2025
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Big bitcoin holders appear to be selling their tokens, threatening to drag the cryptocurrency deeper into the red, according to Citigroup.—
Liz Napolitano,
CNBC,
5 Nov. 2025
Verb
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Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was bummed out by Tech’s decision.—
Pete Grathoff,
Kansas City Star,
24 Oct. 2025
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Democrats’ most visible strategy appears to be trying to bum a few bucks from the grassroots—when the grassroots’ greatest power is in protest, boycott, and other unified mobilization efforts.—
Sarah Stankorb,
MSNBC Newsweek,
1 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Vogue's Anna Wintour playfully poked fun at Rocky's daughter being his namesake in her introduction to the rapper, 37.—
Anika Reed,
USA Today,
4 Nov. 2025
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Sad and Beautiful World finds Mavis, 86, exploring, rediscovering, and poking holes at her lifetime of righteous optimism.—
Jonathan Bernstein,
Rolling Stone,
4 Nov. 2025
Verb
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The transcripts moved with her, idling among her papers.—
Michael Schulman,
New Yorker,
3 Nov. 2025
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But for now, idled IRS workers aren’t applying thumbscrews to taxpayers.—
John Seiler,
Oc Register,
28 Oct. 2025
Verb
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His fur was singed and bitten, his arm broken, and his mouth crawling with maggots.—
Alice Gibbs,
MSNBC Newsweek,
4 Nov. 2025
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Amazon has already taken steps in recent months to prevent external AI agents from crawling its website, including those developed by OpenAI, Google and Meta.—
Ashley Capoot,Annie Palmer,
CNBC,
4 Nov. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dillydally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dillydally. Accessed 10 Nov. 2025.
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