1
as in pulled
to cause to follow by applying steady force on
the deliveryman dragged the barrels over against the wall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lingered
to move or act slowly
one of the climbers was beginning to drag
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in crawled
to move slowly
the play dragged and seemed to take forever to get to its predictable conclusion
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of dragged
Although Schwarze ultimately prevailed, the party’s divisions were on display as the endorsement battle dragged on through six ballots.
—
Jay Gabler, Twin Cities, 30 May 2026
But as his contentious divorce and custody battle against Jolie dragged on, reports emerged in 2021 that Maddox had testified in the case.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
On May 28, 2016, Harambe was shot and killed after a 3-year-old boy visiting the zoo fell into his enclosure and was grabbed, dragged and thrown by the gorilla.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 28 May 2026
Either side could read the report and reasonably conclude that Democrats lost because they were dragged too far left or, for progressives, not far enough left.
—Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 28 May 2026
As the Knicks swept Philadelphia in Round 2, the Cleveland Cavaliers were dragged through a grueling seven-game series against the Detroit Pistons.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 28 May 2026
Since 2012 the company has been owned by the Squarcialupi family of chemical industrialists, which dragged it out of a composition with creditors’ procedures and retooled its business to encompass both third-party manufacturing of gold pieces and its namesake accessible jewelry brand.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 27 May 2026
That is also why, in the run-up to tonight’s match, his meetings with staff — assistants Michael Angerschmid, Ronald Brunmayr, Emanuel Pogatetz, Paddy McCarthy and James Holland, as well as the analysts — have dragged on, sometimes lasting as long as five hours, with an unbroken focus.
—Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Early voting in the June 9 primary had started Tuesday morning and was one factor some Republican senators cited for opposing the redistricting, which had dragged on through weeks of on-and-off debate.
—Gavin Jackson, NPR, 26 May 2026
Jay Gabler, Twin Cities, 30 May 2026
But as his contentious divorce and custody battle against Jolie dragged on, reports emerged in 2021 that Maddox had testified in the case.
—Martha Ross, Mercury News, 29 May 2026
On May 28, 2016, Harambe was shot and killed after a 3-year-old boy visiting the zoo fell into his enclosure and was grabbed, dragged and thrown by the gorilla.
—Greta Cross, USA Today, 28 May 2026
Either side could read the report and reasonably conclude that Democrats lost because they were dragged too far left or, for progressives, not far enough left.
—Douglas Schoen, Oc Register, 28 May 2026
As the Knicks swept Philadelphia in Round 2, the Cleveland Cavaliers were dragged through a grueling seven-game series against the Detroit Pistons.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 28 May 2026
Since 2012 the company has been owned by the Squarcialupi family of chemical industrialists, which dragged it out of a composition with creditors’ procedures and retooled its business to encompass both third-party manufacturing of gold pieces and its namesake accessible jewelry brand.
—Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 27 May 2026
That is also why, in the run-up to tonight’s match, his meetings with staff — assistants Michael Angerschmid, Ronald Brunmayr, Emanuel Pogatetz, Paddy McCarthy and James Holland, as well as the analysts — have dragged on, sometimes lasting as long as five hours, with an unbroken focus.
—Matt Woosnam, New York Times, 27 May 2026
Early voting in the June 9 primary had started Tuesday morning and was one factor some Republican senators cited for opposing the redistricting, which had dragged on through weeks of on-and-off debate.
—Gavin Jackson, NPR, 26 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dragged
Verb
-
Colorado pulled to 8-3 in the fifth on Tyler Freeman’s two-run homer, but the Angels answered again in the bottom half on Jo Adell’s RBI single for a 9-3 lead.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
4 June 2026
-
The hood’s intake is mounted at the back, so smoke and fumes rising from the back burners get pulled straight up into it.—
Angela Haupt,
Time,
3 June 2026
Verb
-
Cholowsky and the bat boy lingered in their embrace, clinging to the final remnants of a season neither seemed ready to leave behind.—
Ira Gorawara,
New York Times,
1 June 2026
-
Amtrak said later Monday the south tunnel was back up and running, but delays lingered at Newark's Penn Station.—
Jesse Zanger,
CBS News,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
The truck driver crawled to the side of the road and the gunman fled.—
Kristi Miller,
Twin Cities,
26 May 2026
-
But Inglis kept losing partners to Punjab fast bowler Marco Jansen (2-33) and leg-spinner Yuzvendra Chahal (2-25) and Lucknow crawled to 196.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
23 May 2026
Verb
-
All the while, Upper West Side locals walked their little white dogs and hauled Fairway groceries past the throngs, looking confused.—
Rebecca Alter,
Vulture,
3 June 2026
-
One man might describe how he was tortured as a prisoner of war, or another might recall the day his brother was hauled away from their home, never to be seen again.—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
1 June 2026
Verb
-
With the squad heavily depleted at the start of pre-season due to the World Cup, a number of decisions regarding loan moves for youngsters are set to be delayed until later in the window.—
James McNicholas,
New York Times,
2 June 2026
-
However, opposition to these plans delayed any major activity on the ground till the the late 2000s.—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
2 June 2026
Verb
-
The Waffle House waitress said the building’s management was inattentive to a raft of deeper issues, from sewage backups that crept into her bathtub to mold and a malfunctioning air conditioning unit.—
Ben Paviour,
Sacbee.com,
27 May 2026
-
At the other end of the spectrum, there were a number of clubs with lower possession numbers who crept into positions higher up the table.—
Jon Mackenzie,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
Verb
-
The rookie tryout cornerback repeatedly tugged on undrafted rookie wide receiver Omari Kelly’s jersey as Kelly ran a go route up the left sideline.—
Chicago Tribune,
Chicago Tribune,
11 May 2026
-
When Wembanyama then grabbed the ensuing rebound right over Reid, Minnesota’s Jaden McDaniels came in and tugged down on Wembanyama’s jersey from behind, then held onto his off arm.—
Jared Weiss,
New York Times,
11 May 2026
Verb
-
Even at the height of his fame, there were dubious aspects of his personal life — often self-seeded to sustain his enigma — that poked hellified holes in his impermeability as an entertainer.—
Rodney Carmichael,
NPR,
3 June 2026
-
In the roadside planters, green sprouts poked up.—
Eleanor Nash,
Kansas City Star,
3 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dragged.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dragged. Accessed 5 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
