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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dribbling
Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 25 Nov. 2025
Schuyler Dixon, Chicago Tribune, 27 Mar. 2026
Ivisic made his way down the floor, got the ball at the three-point line, took two steps without dribbling and threw down a poster dunk of his own.
—Ryan Brennan
march 25, Kansas City Star, 25 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
After dribbling between his legs, Mark switched up and leaned to his right and let loose with a dagger jumper from 20 feet out.
—Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 18 Mar. 2026
Raúl had taught us dribbling tricks and how to hit a header from a corner shot.
—Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
Their play is a symphony of cheers and swishes, conversation and laughter, dribbling balls and rattling rims.
—Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026
Their relentless and slick positional rotations routinely pull opponents disastrously out of shape, allowing their blistering speed and dribbling skill to exploit the space created, aided by the attacking thrust of Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi from the full-back positions.
—Liam Twomey, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
He had been cleared for individual work late last week, and had shed his cast and was focusing on non-contact work like dribbling and shooting.
—ABC News, 6 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
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
Ivisic made his way down the floor, got the ball at the three-point line, took two steps without dribbling and threw down a poster dunk of his own.
—Ryan Brennan
march 25, Kansas City Star, 25 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
After dribbling between his legs, Mark switched up and leaned to his right and let loose with a dagger jumper from 20 feet out.
—Cedric Golden, Austin American Statesman, 18 Mar. 2026
Raúl had taught us dribbling tricks and how to hit a header from a corner shot.
—Literary Hub, 16 Mar. 2026
Their play is a symphony of cheers and swishes, conversation and laughter, dribbling balls and rattling rims.
—Chris John Amorosino, Hartford Courant, 13 Mar. 2026
Their relentless and slick positional rotations routinely pull opponents disastrously out of shape, allowing their blistering speed and dribbling skill to exploit the space created, aided by the attacking thrust of Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi from the full-back positions.
—Liam Twomey, New York Times, 11 Mar. 2026
He had been cleared for individual work late last week, and had shed his cast and was focusing on non-contact work like dribbling and shooting.
—ABC News, 6 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dribbling
Verb
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Finally, the riders entered a canopy of oaks dripping Spanish moss that marked the park entrance.—
Molly Hennessy-Fiske,
Washington Post,
19 Mar. 2026
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With the games dripping out, one at a time, the entire planet is focused on a single match while it is being played, all the eyes of the world resting on twenty-two elite athletes acting out a sporting telenovela, living making decisions without a script, under conditions of hysterical pressure.—
Jeffrey Pierre,
NPR,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The capsule should then spend the next several days journeying back to Earth, before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego on April 10.—
Tom Costello,
NBC news,
30 Mar. 2026
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That capsule went on a looping trip around the moon that lasted over three weeks and covered over a million miles before splashing back down in the Pacific.—
Nell Greenfieldboyce,
NPR,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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These plants contain cardiac glycosides, which can cause unpleasant symptoms for dogs and cats alike, such as drooling, diarrhea, abdominal pain, abnormal heart rhythm, and even some neurologic signs.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
24 Mar. 2026
-
Chewing on the bulbs can cause severe vomiting and diarrhea, profuse drooling and burns to the mouth.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
24 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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While the rest of the world was in its accustomed turmoil, the Press, for which Ireland was the omphalos of the universe, took scant notice.—
Christine Smallwood,
Harpers Magazine,
24 Mar. 2026
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Details of what the ICE deployment in airports would mean remained scant Sunday, though the president said border czar Tom Homan would be in charge of the deployment.—
Grace Zokovitch,
Boston Herald,
23 Mar. 2026
Verb
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An employee put on gloves without washing their hands first, some food in the display case didn’t have a time stamp and mouse droppings were found in the restroom.—
Harriet Ramos,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
28 Mar. 2026
-
An employee was washing and rinsing dishes.—
Sacbee.com,
Sacbee.com,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Because who wouldn’t want to join a religion seemingly spitting out beautiful women?—
Elizabeth Gulino,
Allure,
26 Mar. 2026
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Police accused Arianna Skye Foster, his 21-year-old girlfriend of spitting at a driver, dousing another with pepper spray and throwing rocks and pieces of brick at vehicles, according to documents.—
Ray Stern,
AZCentral.com,
25 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The no-fuss interior is pretty sparse, bar a handful of tables and small wine cabinet.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
31 Mar. 2026
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But as space continues to expand today, and matter becomes sparser, the universe is looking increasingly like de Sitter space again.—
Shalma Wegsman,
Quanta Magazine,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Set pan on a baking sheet; bake until biscuits are deeply browned and gravy is bubbling around edges, 55–65 minutes.—
Jesse Szewczyk,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
23 Mar. 2026
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Plus, bubbling beneath all of that is what the Angels believe is a pool of young arms ready to burst onto the scene.—
Jeff Fletcher,
Oc Register,
23 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dribbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dribbling. Accessed 1 Apr. 2026.
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