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
The video shows Nevada skillfully dribbling the ball and scoring, before cutting to the preschool prodigy looking at the cops with confusion. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 27 Oct. 2026 Wembanyama got his first points off the night after stonewalling Sacramento center Domantas Sabonis at one end, dribbling the length of the court off the rebound, then tossing the ball off the backboard to himself for a dunk. — Jeff McDonald, San Antonio Express-News, 16 Oct. 2026 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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dribbling
  1. scant
  2. dripping
  3. splashing
  4. drooling
  5. sparse
  6. washing
  7. spitting
  8. scanty
Adjective
  • An anxious child Apart from her scribbled notes, scant details are available about Runa’s experience in detention, according to her lawyer Yoshihiro Mukai.
    — Hanako Montgomery, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
  • When the new show was announced October 8, details were scant.
    — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of scant
Verb
  • She’s surrounded by a herd of horses and dripping in confidence.
    — Robert Lang, Deadline, 19 Oct. 2026
  • At the denouement, Kember is completely alone, his flat, narcotized baritone dripping onto the faded guitar notes like melted mercury.
    — Gabriel Szatan, Pitchfork, 18 Oct. 2026
Definition of dripping
Verb
  • That’s because new data says boomers are splashing their cash on vacations instead of setting it aside for future generations.
    — Orianna Rosa Royle, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The four astronauts returned safely to Earth on April 10, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego after nearly 10 days in space.
    — Daisy Dobrijevic, Space.com, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of splashing
Verb
  • Mix these finds into your work wardrobe or your off-duty ensembles—they’re versatile enough to do it all, and the festive palette is worth drooling over.
    — Jake Henry Smith, Glamour, 7 Oct. 2026
  • 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
Definition of drooling
Adjective
  • Across bat species, 9 percent are known so far to have odor-producing glands and other structures, but research on this is sparse, according to a 2021 paper in Mammal Review co-authored by Page.
    — Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 28 Oct. 2026
  • The incident appeared in the university’s crime log with sparse details, but officials did not respond to CNN’s inquiry about whether students were broadly notified of the allegations.
    — Brittany Shammas, CNN Money, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of sparse
Verb
  • Airbnb guests can say goodbye to checkout chores like washing dishes, stripping beds and taking out the trash under a new policy announced this week.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • An employee handled dirty utensils and dishes with gloves on and later handled clean dishes with those same gloves without washing hands in between.
    — Joseph Hernandez, Kansas City Star, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of washing
Verb
  • The pouches do not require spitting and are sold in multiple flavors, such as coffee, mint, fruit and seasonal options like pumpkin spice.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
  • The 28-year-old was ejected from the game after spitting toward Las Vegas Raiders center Tyler Linderbaum and tight end Brock Bowers just before halftime.
    — Ryan Canfield OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Oct. 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 28 Oct. 2026.

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