dribble 1 of 2

noun

Definition of dribblenext
as in speck
a very small piece news about the remote earthquake was coming in dribbles

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

dribble

2 of 2

verb

ˈdri-bəl How to pronounce dribble (audio)
1
as in to drip
to fall or let fall in or as if in drops water dribbling over the lip of the fountain

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to splash
to flow in a broken irregular stream rainwater dribbling along the partially clogged gutter

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to drool
to let saliva or some other substance flow from the mouth picnickers dribbling in eager anticipation of the hamburgers on the grill

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 dribble
Noun
The mission's science, then, has begun only in dribbles, while the bulk of its promise still lies ahead. — Meghan Bartels, Space.com, 3 Sep. 2026 Even a small dribble of water can make grease pop and leave you with burns. — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 24 Aug. 2026
Verb
Junior forward Pierre Mazza sent a pass up the left wing to Martinez, who dribbled to the top of the box before cutting inside and slotting a shot off the inside of the right post to put the Redhawks up 1-0. — Matt Le Cren, Chicago Tribune, 22 Oct. 2026 Wembanyama got his first points off the night after stonewalling Sacramento center Domantas Sabonis at one end, dribbling the length of the court off the rebound, then tossing the ball off the backboard to himself for a dunk. — Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for dribble
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dribble
  1. speck
  2. drip
  3. splash
  4. drool
  5. bit
  6. flow
  7. wash
  8. spit
Noun
  • The pair are flip sides of the same coin; Kinney a speck of blue running in a red state, and Austin a Republican running in the Democratic stronghold of Connecticut.
    — Barbara Sprunt, NPR, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Chips could be destroyed by even a speck of dust, so factories became impregnable clean rooms, their workers clad in bunny suits.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 19 Oct. 2026
Definition of speck
Verb
  • Luckily, waiters are standing by with large jugs of water, ready to refill at the sight of sweat dripping down your forehead.
    — Ali Domrongchai, Condé Nast Traveler, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Her face appeared through the center of the hand, with blood dripping from her mouth and fake tendons hanging from the wrist.
    — Christina Dugan Ramirez, FOXNews.com, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of drip
Verb
  • Where lettuce splashed with vinaigrette can feel like an afterthought, a juicy, savory-slanting pear salad is worth making room for on a plate full of turkey and cornbread.
    — Rebecca Firkser, Bon Appetit Magazine, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Children splashed in the fountain and played with a soccer ball as the mayoral hopeful introduced herself to voters.
    — Noah Goldberg, Los Angeles Times, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of splash
Verb
  • Dogs that spend time outdoors, shed heavily, drool frequently, or have accidents may need more frequent cleaning.
    — Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 1 Nov. 2026
  • Mix these finds into your work wardrobe or your off-duty ensembles—they’re versatile enough to do it all, and the festive palette is worth drooling over.
    — Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of drool
Noun
  • That cute little feral furball was mean as hell and bit, scratched, and ultimately abandoned the family.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 2 Nov. 2026
  • Toss with a fork or your hands to distribute, then knead in bowl a couple of times to bring dough together (some dry bits may remain).
    — Shilpa Uskokovic, Bon Appetit Magazine, 1 Nov. 2026
Definition of bit
Verb
  • None of us are big drinkers, but the beauty of the surroundings inspired the good times to flow, and, well, so did the wine.
    — Claudia Laroye, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 Nov. 2026
  • The film follows those who profited from the huge sums that flowed from across Japan into the radiation clean-up of the Tohoku region.
    — Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 7 Nov. 2026
Definition of flow
Verb
  • There’s no need to rinse the bird, and washing raw poultry can spread bacteria around your kitchen.
    — Andy Baraghani, Bon Appetit Magazine, 5 Nov. 2026
  • In certain communities, funeral practices included washing the body and sprinkling water on mourners, which risked exposing people to infected bodily fluids.
    — Olayinka Stephen Ilesanmi, The Conversation, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of wash
Verb
  • Across Lower East Side dives in the early 2000s, Brian Chase, Nick Zinner, and Karen O put on otherworldly rock shows that verged on performance art—a blaze of vodka-spitting, mic-fellating, IDGAF unruliness and explosive, clamorous tracks.
    — Megan Buerger, Pitchfork, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Alku was also punched in the face and spit on, court documents report.
    — Mark Price November 4, Charlotte Observer, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of spit

Browse Nearby Words

drew up
dribble
dribbled
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Dribble.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dribble. Accessed 9 Nov. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on dribble

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about dribble

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of wabi-sabi

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Old-Timey Vehicles

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Great Big List of Beautiful and Useless Words, Vol. 5

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
woman sitting on floor holding book in front of her face on pink background
Famous Novels, Last Lines Quiz Needless to say, spoiler alert.
See All