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
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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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of dragging
Ben Church, CNN Money, 16 June 2026
Avoid activities that could create a spark, including campfires, outdoor burning and dragging trailer chains.
—Joe Ruch, CBS News, 16 June 2026
And then on Tuesday, tragedy struck again when an alligator snatched 2-year-old Lane Graves who was playing on the beach at Walt Disney World’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, dragging the boy into the Seven Seas Lagoon.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 June 2026
Every so often, one of the South African teams would spontaneously burst into song, dragging everyone in earshot into an impromptu dance party.
—Ryan Lenora Brown, NPR, 14 June 2026
The striped pattern gives it a classic summer look, while the midi length offers coverage without dragging on the ground.
—Better Homes & Gardens, 14 June 2026
However with Barcola and his representative dragging their feet, the decision makers in the French capital are no longer ruling out Barcola’s potential sale in the summer transfer window.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026
South Asia remains the strongest-performing developing region, anchored by India’s robust growth, though the conflict is dragging on the broader outlook and threatening to worsen fiscal and current account balances across the region.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 12 June 2026
Safely disposing of dead satellites—by dragging them down to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere or boosting them out of the way of other orbiting objects—is a problem the industry still hasn’t solved.
—Chris Stokel-Walker, Scientific American, 12 June 2026
Verb
Mbappé has already been a hero for his country, winning the World Cup in 2018 and scoring a hat-trick in the 2022 final while almost dragging his team to an unlikely defense of the title.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 16 June 2026
Avoid activities that could create a spark, including campfires, outdoor burning and dragging trailer chains.
—Joe Ruch, CBS News, 16 June 2026
And then on Tuesday, tragedy struck again when an alligator snatched 2-year-old Lane Graves who was playing on the beach at Walt Disney World’s Grand Floridian Resort and Spa, dragging the boy into the Seven Seas Lagoon.
—Richard Tribou, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 June 2026
Every so often, one of the South African teams would spontaneously burst into song, dragging everyone in earshot into an impromptu dance party.
—Ryan Lenora Brown, NPR, 14 June 2026
The striped pattern gives it a classic summer look, while the midi length offers coverage without dragging on the ground.
—Better Homes & Gardens, 14 June 2026
However with Barcola and his representative dragging their feet, the decision makers in the French capital are no longer ruling out Barcola’s potential sale in the summer transfer window.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 13 June 2026
South Asia remains the strongest-performing developing region, anchored by India’s robust growth, though the conflict is dragging on the broader outlook and threatening to worsen fiscal and current account balances across the region.
—Nick Lichtenberg, Fortune, 12 June 2026
Safely disposing of dead satellites—by dragging them down to burn up in Earth’s atmosphere or boosting them out of the way of other orbiting objects—is a problem the industry still hasn’t solved.
—Chris Stokel-Walker, Scientific American, 12 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dragging
Adjective
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For those seeking a more leisurely route, expedition cruises (like HX Expeditions, Silversea Cruises, and MSC Cruises) not only allows travelers to take in breathtaking views along the way, but also avoids the weather unpredictability of Arctic air travel.—
Susmita Baral,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Dec. 2025
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Sports cars are a different breed anyway, with cornering dynamics that make even a fairly leisurely drive on city streets in Southern California feel at times like a day at the track.—
Eric D. Lawrence,
Freep.com,
4 Dec. 2025
Verb
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There’s a lot of repairing and resolution that needs to happen in this final episode, but luckily things start strong with Liz and Jo-Ellen pulling each other aside to talk things through on the beach.—
Tom Smyth,
Vulture,
15 June 2026
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But Hong Kong has a way of pulling people back.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
15 June 2026
Verb
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While many campuses were delaying scholarship decisions until the government resolved problems with a new financial aid form, Swarthmore used other data to figure out applicants’ financial need.—
Collin Binkley,
Fortune,
11 Dec. 2025
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Moscow has repeatedly said that Zelensky was not the legitimate leader of Ukraine and as such could not negotiate any peace deal but this has been seen by critics as aimed at delaying an end to Putin’s aggression.—
Brendan Cole,
MSNBC Newsweek,
10 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Wrigley Field West, aka Coors Field, was crawling with Cubs fans on Tuesday night.—
Patrick Saunders,
Denver Post,
11 June 2026
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He was found on Thursday morning, crawling towards Base Camp, and airlifted to Kathmandu, where doctors are treating him for frostbite, severe dehydration and a fractured thigh bone.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 June 2026
Adjective
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A little snow in the morning; cloudy, chilly; slow and slippery travel in the morning; improving road conditions in the afternoon.—
Jackie Borchardt,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
12 Dec. 2025
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Liverpool have been much slower starters, getting outscored 6-8 in Premier League first halves (and 1-4 in the opening 15 minutes of their games).—
Liam Tharme,
New York Times,
12 Dec. 2025
Verb
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The vessel was hauling coal when there appeared to be a fire, then an explosion.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
6 Dec. 2025
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The truck flipped while hauling 21 rhesus macaque monkeys from Tulane University in New Orleans for biomedical research.—
Alexandra Koch,
FOXNews.com,
3 Dec. 2025
Verb
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Inventories are unlikely to fully rebuild given the scale of draws in the first half-year and ongoing government stockpiling, the bank said, while lingering geopolitical risk premium would keep a floor under prices.—
Anniek Bao,
CNBC,
16 June 2026
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Southern Living also noted that local tourism officials are encouraging visitors to return to the region, as many businesses remain open and rely on tourism dollars despite lingering perceptions that the area is still closed following Hurricane Helene.—
Evan Moore,
Charlotte Observer,
16 June 2026
Verb
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But the sheer brutality and creeping terror of the simplistic opening scene makes the rest of the film — with its gratuitous set pieces and CGI gore — seem much more inelegant.—
Brianna Zigler,
Entertainment Weekly,
15 June 2026
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Plant creeping thyme as a lawn replacement, placing plugs 6-12 inches apart.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
11 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dragging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dragging. Accessed 17 Jun. 2026.
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