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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of dragging
Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025
Netanyahu was first charged years ago, but the case has stalled, dragging on for more than half a decade.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 14 Oct. 2025
With the government shutdown still dragging on, the only economic data on our radar Tuesday morning is the NFIB Small Business Index.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2025
Sick of dragging a cable around while gaming?
—PC Magazine, 13 Oct. 2025
The 2025 Stanley Cup Final loss doesn’t seem to be dragging them down the way the 2024 one did.
—Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Last week in Chicago, federal agents descended in a Blackhawk to clear out an entire apt complex, dragging children out of their beds and zip-tying residents for hours without articulating any probable cause.
—Carlo Versano, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
The rapper could be seen dragging Cassie down the hotel hallway in surveillance footage that was shown to the jury and previously released to the public in 2024.
—Tracy Wright , Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2025
One partner is ready to walk down the aisle, while the other is dragging their feet.
—Peter White, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
That dragging sway of tempo that sounds like a porch sitting rocking chair.
—Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2025
Netanyahu was first charged years ago, but the case has stalled, dragging on for more than half a decade.
—Jared Gans, The Hill, 14 Oct. 2025
With the government shutdown still dragging on, the only economic data on our radar Tuesday morning is the NFIB Small Business Index.
—Kevin Stankiewicz, CNBC, 13 Oct. 2025
Sick of dragging a cable around while gaming?
—PC Magazine, 13 Oct. 2025
The 2025 Stanley Cup Final loss doesn’t seem to be dragging them down the way the 2024 one did.
—Daniel Nugent-Bowman, New York Times, 12 Oct. 2025
Last week in Chicago, federal agents descended in a Blackhawk to clear out an entire apt complex, dragging children out of their beds and zip-tying residents for hours without articulating any probable cause.
—Carlo Versano, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 Oct. 2025
The rapper could be seen dragging Cassie down the hotel hallway in surveillance footage that was shown to the jury and previously released to the public in 2024.
—Tracy Wright , Lauryn Overhultz, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2025
One partner is ready to walk down the aisle, while the other is dragging their feet.
—Peter White, Deadline, 2 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dragging
Adjective
-
This was true, though on that particular visit the pain had to do mostly with the need to take the children to play areas buzzing with sounds and lights, with not having any leisurely meals or time to wander.—
Ayşegül Savaş,
New Yorker,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Michigan residents and fall color enthusiasts have many ways to take in the rich fall tapestry across Michigan, among them several steam trains excursions that provide a leisurely trip cross country to view the leaves.—
Jalen Williams,
Freep.com,
8 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Palestinian militant group Hamas on Monday returned the 20 living hostages held in Gaza for more than two years to Israel, while Israeli authorities released close to 2,000 Palestinian prisoners after pulling back military forces in the strip to control roughly half of the territory.—
Ellie Cook,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Oct. 2025
-
The podcasts will range from sports to culture to true crime, aiming to both complement Netflix's current slate and bring in new audiences, pulling from The Ringer's lineup.—
Laya Neelakandan,
CNBC,
14 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Unusually warm and dry weather from late September into early October may be delaying peak fall color in some places, and could also result in a shorter, less vibrant season, said Adam Schneider, assistant professor of biology at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse, in a recent blog post.—
Jim Higgins,
jsonline.com,
17 Oct. 2025
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For many families and vulnerable individuals, the cost could be prohibitive, potentially delaying or blocking access.—
Billal Rahman,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Over three hours, small groups navigate a challenging underground world, scrambling over boulders, belly-crawling through narrow passages, and squeezing through tight spaces to discover hidden marble wonders.—
Heide Brandes,
AFAR Media,
15 Oct. 2025
-
Halloween is fast approaching, and Cincinnati is crawling with some fang-tastic events this weekend.—
Caroline Ritzie,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
15 Oct. 2025
Adjective
-
Losing is so deeply ingrained in the fabric of this franchise that every slow start has the potential to snowball.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
12 Oct. 2025
-
His administration has seen some success; inflation in Argentina eased this year to the slowest monthly pace in more than four years.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Tom Grogan’s first job paid him just £30 ($40) a day lugging bricks and hauling cement on a Birmingham building site.—
Orianna Rosa Royle,
Fortune,
12 Oct. 2025
-
Then Ely found Muir, hauling him to the surface.—
Laylan Connelly,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
11 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
Meanwhile, Bad Bunny has commented little, save for an SNL monologue poking fun at the situation.—
Rolling Stone,
Rolling Stone,
12 Oct. 2025
-
The bit kicked off by poking fun at the Senate hearing that took place earlier this week.—
McKinley Franklin,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
The shadow of a mad scientist is always creeping over his shoulder, tapping on it, reminding him to be clever.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
13 Oct. 2025
-
After battling late summer heat, the Greater Cincinnati region is finally starting to cool down with fall temperatures slowly creeping in.—
Kaycee Sloan,
Cincinnati Enquirer,
13 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dragging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dragging. Accessed 19 Oct. 2025.
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