dribbling 1 of 2

adjective

as in trickling

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dribbling

2 of 2

verb

present participle of dribble
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

Synonyms & Similar Words

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

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 dribbling
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
Then Clark put on a dribbling clinic, made nifty pass after nifty pass and became both a harassing presence on defense and the Fever's emotional leader during a 20-6 second-quarter run. — ABC News, 29 Sep. 2026 Cardoso’s dribbling abilities gave the Tigers fits all nights. — Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 24 Sep. 2026 His movement, dribbling ability and raw talent definitely stuck in my memory. — Amitai Winehouse, New York Times, 9 Sep. 2026 Until the 85th minute, when Messi, off a short corner kick, attracted three defenders while dribbling in. — Sean Gregory, Time, 15 July 2026 Norway finally managed to apply some pressure in the attacking third, leading to a loose ball dribbling in the box. — Andrew Greif, NBC news, 12 July 2026 Now with Antetokounmpo as a teammate after the Heat’s trade with the Milwaukee Bucks, Mitchell is dribbling off to Greece in a week. — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 10 July 2026 The Manchester United player ran a quick give-and-go with Nicolas Pépé, taking the short return pass and then dribbling through the Norwegian defense. — Hannah Keyser, CNN Money, 30 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dribbling
  1. scant
  2. dripping
  3. splashing
  4. drooling
  5. sparse
  6. washing
  7. spitting
  8. scanty
Adjective
  • Residents of Mekelle told the Associated Press on Saturday that federal forces had retaken the airport, although details were scant.
    — Rodney Muhumuza, Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • The name of the collection parodies the seriousness of the museum, even as the collection itself is the kind of thing that has traditionally gotten scant attention within actual institutions.
    — Brian Boucher, ARTnews.com, 30 Sep. 2026
Definition of scant
Verb
  • In a twist on tailoring, jackets dripping with fringe made their way down the runway at Monse.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Zendaya, who was a nominee for her powerful performance on the HBO drama Euphoria, wore a glamorous Prada gown dripping with crystals that was styled by Law Roach.
    — Leigh Blickley, Entertainment Weekly, 15 Sep. 2026
Definition of dripping
Verb
  • Platt shot cellphone video showing ferocious waves spilling over the promenade along East Brigantine Avenue on Saturday, pushing two bike racks aside and splashing Mayor Vince Sera.
    — Madeleine Wright, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • And don’t forget to pack your best red outfit for Virgin’s over-the-top deck party, Scarlet Night, which inevitably ends up with everyone splashing around in the pool until the wee hours of the morning.
    — Megan duBois, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of splashing
Verb
  • There was one of Melissa Gorga’s sprinkle cookies ground into the carpet, and there was Kelsey Swanson, passed out under the piano and drooling on the parquet.
    — Brian Moylan, Vulture, 5 Oct. 2026
  • Typical letdown game for a Florida team the national media just spent a week drooling over.
    — Zach Dean OutKick, FOXNews.com, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of drooling
Adjective
  • The Kings began in 1967 before a sparse crowd in Long Beach, as executive Alan Rothenberg helped sell a skeptical Southern California on hockey’s place in a warm-weather city.
    — Kevin Baxter, Los Angeles Times, 5 Oct. 2026
  • A couple of decades later, however, Ryan Field gamedays often seemed sparse.
    — Shun Graves, Chicago Tribune, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of sparse
Verb
  • The self-sanitizing pod is equipped with a power-washing system that cleans and disinfects the toilet and the floor for a few minutes after each use.
    — Marissa Sulek, CBS News, 29 Sep. 2026
  • For some, that means washing one or two times a week compared to the UK or US, where 41% of people wash upwards of three times a week, with 21% washing their hair every other day.
    — Anita Bhagwandas, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of washing
Verb
  • Is this tobacco-spitting, plain-talking Jon Sumrall a coaching amalgamation of Steve Spurrier and Urban Meyer?
    — Joe Rexrode, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
  • Neutrons are unstable when they’re not bound in nuclei, spontaneously spitting out lighter particles in about 15 minutes to become the slightly lighter proton.
    — Cara Giovanetti, The Conversation, 25 Sep. 2026
Definition of spitting
Adjective
  • They are being asked to do it with scanty documentation, including proof that the Historic Preservation Board is causing unnecessary delay.
    — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 20 June 2026
  • Although the details are scanty, the potential DOE funding is likely to be directed towards this demonstration facility.
    — Aditya Jadhav, Interesting Engineering, 25 May 2026
Definition of scanty

Browse Nearby Words

dribbles
dribbling
driblet
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Cite this Entry

“Dribbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dribbling. Accessed 7 Oct. 2026.

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