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
Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
The war dragging on could also see markets whip back and oil costs continue to soar, especially as the Strait of Hormuz, which carries roughly 20% of the world's oil remains largely impassible.
—Garrett Downs, CNBC, 10 Mar. 2026
They were aimed at dragging Western civilization back toward chaos.
—Calev Myers, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2026
Plants that are adaptable to a variety of growing conditions are easier to site in the garden without the need to amend soil, and drought-tolerant selections mean fewer days dragging hoses through the yard.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2026
Saturday’s weather setup Our weather on Saturday will be influenced by the upper-level low pressure over the Great Lakes, which is dragging a strong cold front southward into Texas.
—Mary Wasson, Austin American Statesman, 7 Mar. 2026
Miller made efforts to clean up the scene before dragging the 86-year-old’s body to a cellar under the shed, where she was later found, the indictment read.
—Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026
Late March tests your ability to hold your frequency and not cave to energies dragging you down.
—Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 6 Mar. 2026
At 36 years old, the nightly grind of the NBA — dragging true 7-footers up and down the court like Roger Murdock — has, unsurprisingly, taken its toll.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2026
Verb
His legs felt like anchors dragging across the court.
—Los Angeles Times, 11 Mar. 2026
The war dragging on could also see markets whip back and oil costs continue to soar, especially as the Strait of Hormuz, which carries roughly 20% of the world's oil remains largely impassible.
—Garrett Downs, CNBC, 10 Mar. 2026
They were aimed at dragging Western civilization back toward chaos.
—Calev Myers, New York Daily News, 9 Mar. 2026
Plants that are adaptable to a variety of growing conditions are easier to site in the garden without the need to amend soil, and drought-tolerant selections mean fewer days dragging hoses through the yard.
—Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 9 Mar. 2026
Saturday’s weather setup Our weather on Saturday will be influenced by the upper-level low pressure over the Great Lakes, which is dragging a strong cold front southward into Texas.
—Mary Wasson, Austin American Statesman, 7 Mar. 2026
Miller made efforts to clean up the scene before dragging the 86-year-old’s body to a cellar under the shed, where she was later found, the indictment read.
—Karina Tsui, CNN Money, 6 Mar. 2026
Late March tests your ability to hold your frequency and not cave to energies dragging you down.
—Magi Helena, Dallas Morning News, 6 Mar. 2026
At 36 years old, the nightly grind of the NBA — dragging true 7-footers up and down the court like Roger Murdock — has, unsurprisingly, taken its toll.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dragging
Adjective
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With that much space, visitors and locals alike have plenty of room for water sports, leisurely beach days, and sightseeing.—
Lydia Mansel,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Mar. 2026
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What to see today Visitors have their choice of hiking to the top of Natural Bridge or taking a leisurely ride on a sky lift over the trees and to the top.—
Maggie Menderski,
Louisville Courier Journal,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Those worries have spilled into financial markets, pulling share prices sharply lower.—
Alex Veiga,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Mar. 2026
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Someone’s always pulling the knife out or holding the knife.—
Lexi Carson,
HollywoodReporter,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The union is calling for an inflationary increase to wages effective July 1, while Cassellius has proposed delaying inflationary raises until January to save money.—
Rory Linnane,
jsonline.com,
6 Mar. 2026
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The inspector general accused the department of blocking long-standing access to internal DHS databases used for oversight work, restricting data related to border enforcement and TSA programs, and delaying access to classified intelligence systems.—
Nicole Sganga,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Galahadosuchus represents one of the early ancestors of that lineage, and the evolutionary path from upright sprinter to belly-crawling ambush predator is a long one.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
23 Feb. 2026
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But Baba’s streets were crawling with ICE proxies during his entire childhood.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Council members LaWana Slack-Mayfield, Malcolm Graham and Joi Mayo, whose west Charlotte District 3 contains most of the affected part of I-77, pressed the agency on its slow responses to their questions, asked in November, shortly after NCDOT released its maps for the first time.—
Nick Sullivan,
Charlotte Observer,
6 Mar. 2026
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The jokes and musical bits are amusing but not groundbreaking, and the story is too light and slow to have a real impact.—
Rachel Simon,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Singh was stopped for inspection at a weigh station while hauling a load of frozen chicken along Interstate 80.—
Simon Hankinson,
Boston Herald,
6 Mar. 2026
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Clear Creek County Investigators said both the driver and passenger got out of the truck, which was hauling two trailers, and were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.—
Jennifer McRae,
CBS News,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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This is a day for speaking plainly and clearing up lingering misunderstandings.—
Tarot.com,
Hartford Courant,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Overall, industry grosses were up 8 percent from the prior week, as productions shook off lingering effects from the snowstorm and show cancellations.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Joseph also responded to worries about facial recognition and other surveillance technologies creeping into the system by emphasizing the cameras used in San Jose only record vehicles’ license plates.—
Robert Salonga,
Mercury News,
10 Mar. 2026
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Many perennial weeds produce deep tap roots or creeping rhizomes.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dragging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dragging. Accessed 11 Mar. 2026.
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