as in trickling
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Dissimilar Words
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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dribbling
Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 25 Nov. 2025
Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 1 Mar. 2026
Kevin is excellent when cutting onto his stronger right foot from the left wing, while Samuel Chukwueze is comfortable dribbling and passing in tight spaces.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
Westbrook’s reaction came after Boucher took a final heave rather than dribbling out the clock, a move widely frowned upon around the league.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 31 Jan. 2026
Thunder players outside of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had trouble merely dribbling the ball, let alone serving as any type of legitimate scoring threat.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 30 Jan. 2026
Other key trends in beauty are dribbling into the allergy space, such as the microbiome buzz.
—James Manso, Footwear News, 29 Jan. 2026
Technical on the ball with a penchant for dribbling through pressure in tight areas, Boudri has shown a consistent ability to separate from defenders and be a threat in the final third.
—Josh Gross, Daily News, 24 Jan. 2026
But instead of prioritizing touching the paint then spraying the ball out to an open shooter, the Knicks have spiraled into iso-ball, over-dribbling and tough shots.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 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
As LeBron James conducted his pregame dribbling routine at the Chase Center, the sparse but rapidly-filling crowd ooh’d and aah’d over the scene on display.
—Benjamin Royer, Oc Register, 1 Mar. 2026
Kevin is excellent when cutting onto his stronger right foot from the left wing, while Samuel Chukwueze is comfortable dribbling and passing in tight spaces.
—Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 19 Feb. 2026
Westbrook’s reaction came after Boucher took a final heave rather than dribbling out the clock, a move widely frowned upon around the league.
—Chris Biderman, Sacbee.com, 31 Jan. 2026
Thunder players outside of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had trouble merely dribbling the ball, let alone serving as any type of legitimate scoring threat.
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 30 Jan. 2026
Other key trends in beauty are dribbling into the allergy space, such as the microbiome buzz.
—James Manso, Footwear News, 29 Jan. 2026
Technical on the ball with a penchant for dribbling through pressure in tight areas, Boudri has shown a consistent ability to separate from defenders and be a threat in the final third.
—Josh Gross, Daily News, 24 Jan. 2026
But instead of prioritizing touching the paint then spraying the ball out to an open shooter, the Knicks have spiraled into iso-ball, over-dribbling and tough shots.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 21 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dribbling
Verb
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Davies translated that into all sorts of wet surfaces, with water dripping down the rocks of Wuthering Heights and the rock gradually pushing in over the course of the movie.—
Sarah Shachat,
IndieWire,
18 Feb. 2026
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Antnation Boho Smocked Top Set This $37 boho set is a one-and-done spring travel outfit that’s dripping in carefree, vacation-ready style.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
16 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Pick high-pile or plush bath mats to maximize the warmth-trapping properties and opt for moisture-absorbing, quick-drying materials like microfiber in this high-humidity, water-splashing space.—
Gemma Johnstone,
The Spruce,
27 Feb. 2026
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Muller has spent the past 12 years experiencing the ups and downs, fitful starts and stops her sport has endured since first splashing on the Swiss hockey scene as a 15-year-old by scoring her nation’s first bronze-medal clinching goal at the 2014 Sochi Games.—
John Wawrow,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When the schedule dropped, network brass had to be drooling over this matchup.—
Dieter Kurtenbach,
Mercury News,
27 Feb. 2026
-
Some viewers were convinced the young up-and-comer was drooling on live TV.—
Michael Collins,
USA Today,
25 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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The war has torn up a fifth of the country, but even with scant, erratic assistance, Ukrainians must emerge from the dust, to be applauded by the West, and go it close-to-alone again.—
Nick Paton Walsh,
CNN Money,
24 Feb. 2026
-
His scant minutes always were dealt cautiously and rescinded quickly.—
Julia Poe,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Sort your laundry — but not by color The once cardinal rule of separating darks from whites before washing them has flown the coop.—
The Washington Post,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
28 Feb. 2026
-
Sophie has spent so long this season being a role of service, and for Benedict to now be washing her hair and then pleasuring her felt like a really nice switcheroo that Sophie deeply deserved.—
Carly Thomas,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Feb. 2026
Verb
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As soon as Clay spotted Liston spitting out his mouthpiece between rounds, meaning he was done for the night, Clay stood in his corner, thrusting his arms high, opening a new, exciting and unpredictable chapter in American sport.—
John Nogowski,
Hartford Courant,
1 Mar. 2026
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The senior guard served a one-game suspension for spitting at an opposing fan late in the Seawolves’ 82-69 loss to Monmouth on Thursday.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
28 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Even as aquatic creatures are starting to fill the canals, however, ships are still sparse in the early spring, and the locks that allow movement through the water are often closed.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
2 Mar. 2026
-
Crowds in West Sixth Street bars were sparse, but a few patrons came out for a drink or game of pool despite the lingering police tape.—
Ana Gutierrez,
Austin American Statesman,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Pastries like passion-fruit malasadas and chocolate-babka pistachio swirls benefit from her sourdough starter, still alive and bubbling after a decade-plus of traveling.—
Kate Bradshaw,
Mercury News,
25 Feb. 2026
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And around nearly every corner, there’s food worth traveling for, from bubbling deep-dish pizza to dripping Italian beef sandwiches.—
Lauren Schuster,
Kansas City Star,
23 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Dribbling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dribbling. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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