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
Stuart James, New York Times, 16 June 2026
And then for soccer, dribbling is, like, just kicking it with your feet and keeping it close.
—Daniel Wilkerson, CBS News, 12 June 2026
But dribbling a soccer ball was always his favorite pastime.
—Miami Herald, 11 June 2026
After the game, lots of people pointed out, Fox could’ve tried dribbling out the clock, since the shot clock was off, and forced the Knicks to foul and send him to the free-throw line.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 11 June 2026
Instead of dribbling to force the Knicks to foul him, Fox went up for a layup, which Anunoby blocked.
—Tim Casey, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Fox, who attempted an inexplicable layup rather than dribbling out the clock, and blocked the shot.
—Kyle Wagner, New York Daily News, 11 June 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
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
Feinting to take the ball with the inside of his right foot, Thiago would change direction at the last minute, pivoting with the outside of the boot and dribbling off into the distance.
—Stuart James, New York Times, 16 June 2026
And then for soccer, dribbling is, like, just kicking it with your feet and keeping it close.
—Daniel Wilkerson, CBS News, 12 June 2026
But dribbling a soccer ball was always his favorite pastime.
—Miami Herald, 11 June 2026
After the game, lots of people pointed out, Fox could’ve tried dribbling out the clock, since the shot clock was off, and forced the Knicks to foul and send him to the free-throw line.
—Tim Rohan, NBC news, 11 June 2026
Instead of dribbling to force the Knicks to foul him, Fox went up for a layup, which Anunoby blocked.
—Tim Casey, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Fox, who attempted an inexplicable layup rather than dribbling out the clock, and blocked the shot.
—Kyle Wagner, New York Daily News, 11 June 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dribbling
Adjective
-
Polling on the primary is scant, though a December poll released by the Hill campaign showed her behind Ford by double digits.—
Phillip M. Bailey,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
-
Lemongrass May Have Blood Pressure-Lowering Effects Though far from conclusive, there is scant evidence that lemongrass may exert beneficial effects on your blood pressure.—
MD Published,
Verywell Health,
6 June 2026
Verb
-
Even when the air-conditioning is cranking, my friends and I are still dripping in sweat.—
Jeremy Rellosa,
Curbed,
4 June 2026
-
The cannister featured an image of an angry mutt with saliva dripping from its jaws.—
Peter Hessler,
New Yorker,
31 May 2026
Verb
-
But as Hollie told the outlet, her family wasn't the only one splashing about that day.—
Cara Lynn Shultz,
PEOPLE,
15 June 2026
-
Once the tomatoes have grown some, remove stems that are closer than 12 inches to the ground to keep soil from splashing on the leaves.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
14 June 2026
Verb
-
This pitching matchup will have the purists drooling.—
Darren Cooper,
Forbes.com,
11 June 2026
-
Familiarize yourself with common signs of heat intolerance, such as excessive panting, drooling, vomiting, weakness or blueish gums.—
Amy DeYoung,
USA Today,
9 June 2026
Adjective
-
The close-to-the-crown plaits create a sleek, polished finish while helping camouflage sparse areas by minimizing visible spacing between each braid.—
Omenaa Boakye,
InStyle,
15 June 2026
-
Yet for an industry of that size, the coverage devoted to it is sparse and uneven.—
Ethan Stone,
Miami Herald,
15 June 2026
Verb
-
While this would be a great thing under normal circumstances, the woman has broken two nice glasses and does a terrible job of washing everything — leaving food particles on the silverware and lipstick on coffee cups.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Mercury News,
12 June 2026
-
As people express their grief, social obligations compel them to help prepare the deceased for burial, including touching and washing the body, as is traditional in the affected countries; visit the deceased’s family; and attend funerals.—
Katherine Marshall,
STAT,
12 June 2026
Verb
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First, play was allowed to restart, which was previously a hard stop on any VAR intervention — except violent conduct and spitting at someone.—
Ben Burrows,
New York Times,
13 June 2026
-
That's when LaPalme hit her in the face to prevent her from spitting again, a recording from the deputy's patrol camera showed.—
CBS Miami Team,
CBS News,
12 June 2026
Adjective
-
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
-
The sum total of records from the plague itself is scanty: three letters by Mompesson written in 1666, the parish’s burial register and inscriptions on graves scattered around the village.—
1843,
1843,
16 Apr. 2020
Cite this Entry
“Dribbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dribbling. Accessed 16 Jun. 2026.
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