DRIBBLED Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

dribbled

verb

past tense of dribble

as in dripped

to fall or let fall in or as if in drops water dribbling over the lip of the fountain

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in splashed

to flow in a broken irregular stream rainwater dribbling along the partially clogged gutter

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in drooled

to let saliva or some other substance flow from the mouth picnickers dribbling in eager anticipation of the hamburgers on the grill

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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 dribbled Apparently, anyone who has ever dribbled a basketball has an opinion about Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo, the Heat’s poor start and what to do from here. — Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Oct. 2026 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 Ellis was pulled after Sam Reinhart tied the game at 2 by poking in a loose puck that dribbled into the crease behind the goalie. — CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026 At one stage in the first half, right-back Archie Gray easily dribbled past him after carrying the ball 20 yards, requiring a foul by Mbeumo to halt him. — Laurie Whitwell, New York Times, 13 Oct. 2026 An unholy relaxation trifecta, the treatment advertises a gentle cleansing scrub, a head and neck massage dribbled in therapeutic oils, and a custom mask infused with calming plant extracts. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026 Wyatt Joyce dribbled the ball 13 yards to the MTSU 48, where it was recovered by KU’s Ezra Vedral, a junior from Omaha. — Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 3 Oct. 2026 For Barca’s second, Raphinha dribbled around the goalkeeper and crossed for Yamal, who used one touch to smash it in from inside the 6-yard box. — ABC News, 13 Sep. 2026 Gauld dribbled through traffic, after a poor pass by a Galaxy defender, and sent in a shot from the penalty spot in the 57th for a 2-0 lead. — Los Angeles Times, 10 Sep. 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for dribbled

Verb

As that water dripped across the shelter floor, calcium carbonate settled on anything lying around—logs, leaves, pine cones, and Neanderthal tools.

— Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 9 Oct. 2026
The castles are built by hand using sprayed and dripped water to form pillars, tunnels, fountains, crawl spaces and slides.

— Christa Swanson, CBS News, 7 Oct. 2026

Definition of dripped

Verb

Basically, the term means that if you get splashed with water, the sunscreen won’t instantly come off.

— Iman Balagam, Vogue, 30 Oct. 2026
All that changed on Wednesday morning — when a massive great white shark splashed him with its tail in the waters off Oceano, on California’s Central Coast.

— Stephanie Zappelli, Sacbee.com, 29 Oct. 2026

Definition of splashed

Verb

Who had broken a wrist on the back-yard flagstones, drooled cherry medicine down her sleeping face on the car ride back from the hospital.

— Emma Cline, New Yorker, 9 Aug. 2026
For Valentine's Day 2026, the retailer released a confetti glass icon candle that shoppers drooled over.

— Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 June 2026

Definition of drooled

Verb

From there, wine flowed as attendees tucked into filet mignon and sea bass while chatting across large burgundy floral centerpieces.

— Emily Tannenbaum, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2026
While the broader economy has grown at a healthy rate, the gains have disproportionately flowed to the wealthiest households.

— Josephine Murphy, NBC news, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of flowed

Verb

Greg Olsen is in the final year of his deal at Fox and is looking for a new home, while current NFL names like Travis Kelce and Sean McVay have bubbled up as potential TV talent in chats with agents and network execs.

— Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2026
And for the artists of a genre that first bubbled up three decades ago, reparto’s global takeover is just getting started.

— Jessica Roiz, Billboard, 12 Oct. 2026

Definition of bubbled

Verb

Emerson Lalashuis had a let serve that trickled over the net and to the gym floor for a momentum-turning point for DeLand.

— Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 29 Oct. 2026
Visitors trickled through in subsequent days to adorn the site with flowers and stuffed animals.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of trickled

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dribble

dribbled

dribbles

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“Dribbled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dribbled. Accessed 2 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of dribbled

verb

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