HANGING (AROUND) Synonyms: 57 Similar and Opposite Words

hanging around

verb

present participle of hang around

as in remaining

to continue to be in a place for a significant amount of time if you hang around until my husband gets home, you can meet him

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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 hanging around This time the shark is hanging around for a month in familiar waters. — Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 9 July 2026 Grow Naturally Repellent Plants There are many plants that function as natural mosquito repellents and having them in your garden can really help to lessen the presence of mosquitoes and deter them from hanging around. — The Spruce, 2 July 2026 Here’s how to discourage pesky possums from hanging around your house and yard. — Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 1 July 2026 Meanwhile, his younger brother Jayden wore a white tank top tucked into a pair of light wash jeans with a brown leather belt and silver chains hanging around his hips. — Meg Walters, InStyle, 27 June 2026 Scotland is hanging around despite an even goal differential and just 44 percent possession thus far. — Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 24 June 2026 There are store cats everywhere that are hanging around, and the store kitties are very friendly. — Rachel Brodsky, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2026 But while some expenses automatically decline in retirement, others can become more difficult to manage, especially when old debts are still hanging around. — Angelica Leicht, CBS News, 17 June 2026 My point is that Italian Americans continue to have an unfair albatross hanging around their necks via organized crime. — Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for hanging around

Verb

The remaining travelers are from the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, among other nations.

— Billy Stockwell, CNN Money, 11 July 2026
After the update, College Football Points can no longer be applied in Dynasty or Road to Glory, though any remaining balance stays in the account and can be spent elsewhere in the game.

— Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 11 July 2026

Definition of remaining

Verb

Do not let pasta sit in the sink waiting for the condimento to be ready or for your family and friends to sit down at the table or open a bottle of wine or feed the dog while your pasta sits, dying, in a colander.

— Carolynn Carreño, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026
In years when the contract is due to be renewed, the waiting period can get tense as fears that the convention will leave San Diego often surface when organizers demand new concessions from hoteliers and the city.

— Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 July 2026

Definition of waiting

Verb

Its only rival may be the Smithsonian Castle, which is being transformed into a work of art — and staying open late — on Friday and Saturday nights.

— Fritz Hahn, Washington Post, 16 July 2026
Club name Eli Lilly is staying busy on M & A, scooping up companies working on a variety of conditions and diseases away from its current cash cow of obesity.

— Jim Cramer, CNBC, 16 July 2026

Definition of staying

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“Hanging around.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hanging%20around. Accessed 17 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of hanging around

verb

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