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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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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Onlookers were festive and chatty amid thunderstorms that threatened to delay the work.—
Joey Garrison,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
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The Friday night news conference at the Lincoln Memorial was delayed for about an hour because of lightning.—
Dan Gelston,
Fortune,
13 June 2026
Verb
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Indeed, Ederson has moments where he can be caught dawdling with the ball, hoping for an opening that doesn’t always arrive.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
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But Koreeda dawdles over all that without ever finding much dramatic nuance, making for a dullish midsection.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
16 May 2026
Verb
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The one question lingering after the Garrett trade was whether or not his addition would lure Rams great Aaron Donald, 35, out of retirement for one last ride.—
Adam Grosbard,
Oc Register,
9 June 2026
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When someone of Perkins’ caliber is cast in a recurring role, they won’t be expected to just linger in the background.—
Nellie Andreeva,
Deadline,
9 June 2026
Verb
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Some were drawn first to the language and its interna ideo, only to later realize the travel benefits involved; others had learned the language specifically to bum around.—
Katie Thornton,
Harpers Magazine,
26 May 2026
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That means, as some critics of the ban have pointed out, that 18-year-olds will almost certainly bum cigarettes from older friends—the same way younger teens have acquired them since time immemorial.—
Nicholas Florko,
The Atlantic,
19 May 2026
Verb
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Expectations of higher oil prices as the war drags on have kept long-term bond yields elevated, causing mortgage rates to mostly trend higher.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
11 June 2026
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Across a 90-foot wall at the Orlando Museum of Art, Tommerup assembled three monumental pyramids built from canvases dragged through the ocean and Biscayne Bay, dried in flowering trees and tossed from rooftops at dusk, surrendering part of the creative process to nature itself.—
Michelle F. Solomon,
Miami Herald,
11 June 2026
Verb
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Recursive self-improvement will transform the domains that check themselves and idle everywhere else.—
Christian Catalini,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
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Last week's sell-off was triggered on Wednesday by idling – though robust – revenue projections from chipmaker Broadcom and may have been exacerbated by a call from artificial intelligence startup Anthropic for the sector to slow down its pace of advancements .—
Tobias Burns,
CNBC,
9 June 2026
Verb
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As the miles dragged on, a chase vehicle crept by periodically with cameras poking out the window to capture scenes that could later be shared on social media, where Emanuel now has an almost daily presence.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
9 June 2026
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New historical research suggests that one of the most legendary cities in history did not start out as a conquering warrior state — poking a hole in its founding myth.—
Andrea Margolis,
FOXNews.com,
8 June 2026
Verb
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Just 1,040 afternoons to sit by the pool, play catch in the yard with your kids, or just relax and enjoy life on the patio.—
Joe Kinsey OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
12 June 2026
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Book a room with a view, then sit back, relax, and enjoy your stay.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
12 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dillydally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dillydally. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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