as in trickling
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1
as in dripping
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
2
as in splashing
to flow in a broken irregular stream
rainwater dribbling along the partially clogged gutter
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in drooling
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dribbling
Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 25 Nov. 2025
Graham Ruthven, New York Times, 30 May 2026
During a game, one of the boys was just standing there watching a boy from the other team dribbling.
—Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
The walkaround tasting will feature unlimited eats, from smash burgers — the trendy pancake-flat kind with cheese dribbling down a latticework of crispy edges — to classically juicy, skyscraper-thick patties, paired with snacks, liquor and desserts, Gonzalez says.
—Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026
Wembanyama’s highlights included dribbling behind his back to avoid Avdija at halfcourt, backing him down to the top of the key, spinning around him and running free to the rim for a two-handed dunk midway through the first quarter.
—ABC News, 19 Apr. 2026
Nothing, though, like the sound of basketballs dribbling in the middle of the night.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2026
After the foul was given, Camavinga decided to temporarily stop Bayern’s players from taking the ball, briefly dribbling it away from the opposition before picking it up with his hands.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
After Blakes lost the ball dribbling toward the basket for what would have been a tying shot, the Commodores had to foul three times just to get Notre Dame to the free-throw line.
—Schuyler Dixon, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Taylor Huff got one back in the 56th minute, dribbling into the box and finishing off the left post.
—Harold Gutmann, Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2026
Adjective
In a recent lab demonstration done by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), the compact humanoid moved with surprising fluidity—dribbling, passing, and sinking shots after practising thousands of simulated drills.
—Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 25 Nov. 2025
Verb
This is designed to get the Georgian into one-on-one situations where his dribbling ability comes to the fore.
—Graham Ruthven, New York Times, 30 May 2026
During a game, one of the boys was just standing there watching a boy from the other team dribbling.
—Joe Kinsey Outkick, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
The walkaround tasting will feature unlimited eats, from smash burgers — the trendy pancake-flat kind with cheese dribbling down a latticework of crispy edges — to classically juicy, skyscraper-thick patties, paired with snacks, liquor and desserts, Gonzalez says.
—Phillip Valys, Sun Sentinel, 28 Apr. 2026
Wembanyama’s highlights included dribbling behind his back to avoid Avdija at halfcourt, backing him down to the top of the key, spinning around him and running free to the rim for a two-handed dunk midway through the first quarter.
—ABC News, 19 Apr. 2026
Nothing, though, like the sound of basketballs dribbling in the middle of the night.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 17 Apr. 2026
After the foul was given, Camavinga decided to temporarily stop Bayern’s players from taking the ball, briefly dribbling it away from the opposition before picking it up with his hands.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 16 Apr. 2026
After Blakes lost the ball dribbling toward the basket for what would have been a tying shot, the Commodores had to foul three times just to get Notre Dame to the free-throw line.
—Schuyler Dixon, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Taylor Huff got one back in the 56th minute, dribbling into the box and finishing off the left post.
—Harold Gutmann, Mercury News, 22 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dribbling
Verb
-
The cannister featured an image of an angry mutt with saliva dripping from its jaws.—
Peter Hessler,
New Yorker,
31 May 2026
-
Add saucers under containers to catch water to prevent staining the balcony surface and reduce the amount of water dripping on the downstairs neighbors.—
Mary Marlowe Leverette,
Southern Living,
29 May 2026
Verb
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The splashing water captured by the camera is abstracted into a nebulous fog that dissolves the profile of a Parisian bridge in the background.—
Erika Landström,
Artforum,
2 June 2026
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Grown-ups bring a ladder to climb into the enormous fruit, kids gather up their inflatable toys, someone makes a waterslide out of a piece of rind, and the whole community spends the day splashing in the juice and pulp (being careful to remove the seeds first).—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 June 2026
Verb
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It’s known to cause drooling, diarrhea, colic, abdominal pain, depression and even death if your dog isn’t promptly treated.—
Amy DeYoung,
USA Today,
28 May 2026
-
Fans are already drooling over them.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Military analysts say retaking the ‘monster on the mountain’ is largely symbolic, offering scant defense against Hezbollah’s drones.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
1 June 2026
-
The team did the necessary against Togo in their third and last match to advance from the group phase, but overall there had been scant evidence of a theatrical farewell, with a fitting flourish, for Zidane.—
Amy Lawrence,
New York Times,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
In fact, keeping denim looking its best requires not washing them very often at all.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
6 June 2026
-
Any washing machine leaks would cause excessive damage to carpet, and the flooring would likely need to be removed and replaced.—
Claire Hoppe Norgaard,
Better Homes & Gardens,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
In my experience, ChatGPT is still a pretty bad writer and can’t hack the existential risk involved in spitting out a compelling thesis.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
26 May 2026
-
The man above is accused of spitting an unknown liquid on a CTA passenger on April, 19, 2026.—
Jeramie Bizzle,
CBS News,
26 May 2026
Adjective
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On trips to Spain this month and France in September, Leo will find thousands of young people like her in these traditionally Catholic but now staunchly secular countries, where historic churches are abundant and Mass attendance is sparse.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
1 June 2026
-
Most subsea drones can only trade sparse, primitive status blips.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
1 June 2026
Verb
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But an unlikely story is bubbling up in the nation as Chinese fans cheer on unlikely amateur soccer players – from delivery drivers to villagers – now playing in packed stadiums back home in a rare sign, some believe, that the Beautiful Game may finally be taking root in the nation.—
Reagan Yip,
CNN Money,
3 June 2026
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The laughter stops immediately, and a familiar look of bubbling rage returns to Ruben’s eyes.—
Barry Levitt,
Time,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dribbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dribbling. Accessed 7 Jun. 2026.
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