as in leisurely
moving or proceeding at less than the normal, desirable, or required speed
a mysterious, cloaked figure with a strange, dragging walk
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in pulling
to cause to follow by applying steady force on
the deliveryman dragged the barrels over against the wall
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in delaying
to move or act slowly
one of the climbers was beginning to drag
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in crawling
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
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Recent Examples of dragging
Dallas Morning News, 24 Mar. 2026
The Lebanese government has been critical of Iran and accuses its Revolutionary Guard of operating in Lebanon alongside Hezbollah, and dragging the country into another war with Israel.
—CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Nick is hired by a mafia don to confirm and then steal a priceless manuscript said to be Dante’s original Divine Comedy in his own hand, dragging Nick into an underworld he’s both repulsed by and complicit in.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026
Step Back The core Pentagon automation technology for targeting is Palantir’s Maven Smart System, which allows military personnel to plan strikes by clicking, dragging, and dropping in a single program, condensing hours or days of work into minutes.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Speaking of which, while Iger has been criticized for dragging his feet on transitioning ESPN to a streaming-first universe, arguably nobody in the legacy TV space has nailed the passing of the distribution baton.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Jones continued to pull on the bag, dragging the man around, according to the footage.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 17 Mar. 2026
Pulled straight out of Ireland and dropped onto 14th Street, Grace’s boasts dim candlelight, brotherly bartenders, and a leveled grit that leaves you teetering between kicking off a folk song or dragging from a cigarette from a stranger outside.
—Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Mar. 2026
However, with the investigation dragging on for more than 40 days, Gould said the case does not fit the profile of an abduction.
—Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Verb
With negotiations dragging, hundreds of TSA agents have quit during the partial shutdown and thousands of others have called out of work.
—Dallas Morning News, 24 Mar. 2026
The Lebanese government has been critical of Iran and accuses its Revolutionary Guard of operating in Lebanon alongside Hezbollah, and dragging the country into another war with Israel.
—CBS News, 24 Mar. 2026
Nick is hired by a mafia don to confirm and then steal a priceless manuscript said to be Dante’s original Divine Comedy in his own hand, dragging Nick into an underworld he’s both repulsed by and complicit in.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 19 Mar. 2026
Step Back The core Pentagon automation technology for targeting is Palantir’s Maven Smart System, which allows military personnel to plan strikes by clicking, dragging, and dropping in a single program, condensing hours or days of work into minutes.
—Reed Albergotti, semafor.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Speaking of which, while Iger has been criticized for dragging his feet on transitioning ESPN to a streaming-first universe, arguably nobody in the legacy TV space has nailed the passing of the distribution baton.
—Anthony Crupi, Sportico.com, 18 Mar. 2026
Jones continued to pull on the bag, dragging the man around, according to the footage.
—Caroline Zimmerman, Kansas City Star, 17 Mar. 2026
Pulled straight out of Ireland and dropped onto 14th Street, Grace’s boasts dim candlelight, brotherly bartenders, and a leveled grit that leaves you teetering between kicking off a folk song or dragging from a cigarette from a stranger outside.
—Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 Mar. 2026
However, with the investigation dragging on for more than 40 days, Gould said the case does not fit the profile of an abduction.
—Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 17 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dragging
Adjective
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So the coming months are a period for cocktails in bigger glasses, vessels that welcome more liquid for more leisurely sipping.—
Scott Hocker,
TheWeek,
20 Mar. 2026
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Otherwise, consider the more posh neighborhoods of Chelsea and Kensington—ideal for leisurely days spent browsing boutiques and art galleries or strolling over to Notting Hill for coffee and craft bakeries.—
Katharine Sohn,
Architectural Digest,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Then, as the pandemic waned, in 2023 and early ’24, came two jolts to the system – federal pandemic-era assistance ended, pulling food and food-related funding away from charities, and the number of people seeking food continued to grow.—
Andre Mouchard,
Oc Register,
29 Mar. 2026
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The trio rebuild the tower and Guerrero goes up again, pulling the line for about four minutes more before the group takes down the tower, wheels the cart away from the window and walks away.—
John Annese,
New York Daily News,
29 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The chamber is set to leave Washington for a two-week recess at the end of this week, but Thune has not ruled out delaying the break if the shutdown is not resolved.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
27 Mar. 2026
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The driver was booked on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon and obstructing or delaying an officer, police said.—
Sydney Barragan,
Oc Register,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Maritime trade is crawling at Georgia’s ports, but the state authority that operates the nation’s third-busiest cargo terminals isn’t throttling back its expansion efforts.—
Adam Van Brimmer,
AJC.com,
24 Mar. 2026
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An unusually strong high pressure system in the middle to upper levels of the atmosphere has been crawling across the southwestern United States in the past day or so, forecasters said.—
Roberto Villalpando,
Austin American Statesman,
21 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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Affecting the first two receptors means retatrutide may help suppress appetite and slow digestion, which can help users feel full after eating even smaller meals.—
Daryl Austin,
USA Today,
28 Mar. 2026
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Long train rides and other slow travel between places offer exactly the meditative in-between space your nervous system is craving.—
Kirah Tabourn,
Condé Nast Traveler,
28 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Truckers also often don’t get paid for months after hauling a load.—
Nathaniel Meyersohn,
CNN Money,
28 Mar. 2026
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The city of Denver is granting ten restaurants up to $3,600 to pay for one year’s worth of compost hauling ahead of a new rule that will require every restaurant in the city to start composting.—
Miguel Otárola,
Denver Post,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Continue on to The Shed Distillery, where Drumshanbo gin is distilled among forest-edge botanicals; the tasting room and café are worth lingering in.—
Condé Nast Traveler,
Condé Nast Traveler,
25 Mar. 2026
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For many in South Florida, the possibility of compensation remains uncertain — with major questions lingering over eligibility, funding, and whether any agreement would require significant political concessions.—
Ivan Taylor,
CBS News,
24 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Then those lights flick off abruptly, dropping us into the dark like an elevator glitching down a floor, instead of delivering a creeping descent to hell.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
19 Mar. 2026
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Because the weeds will start creeping through the cracks in no time, grab the Grampa’s Weeder that gardeners in their 50s, 60s, and 70s use without bending down.—
Stephanie Osmanski,
Better Homes & Gardens,
16 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dragging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dragging. Accessed 31 Mar. 2026.
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