idled

past tense of idle

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 idled The sheer number of ships − study authors cite at least 1,500 vessels − idled near the trade route and the length of time involved are just the beginning. Christopher Cann, USA Today, 2 Aug. 2026 Bercich said the day the Metrodome roof caved in, Ryan’s car idled on the side of the road, unable to handle the onslaught of snow. Alec Lewis, New York Times, 24 July 2026 The show’s characters idled away their time watching programs like Years of Our Days to Live. Literary Hub, 18 May 2026 In fact, Airbus was collecting orders and making deliveries while Boeing idled due to the bans and delays imposed by the CAAC. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 14 May 2026 Government number crunchers were temporarily idled in October, so were unable to collect housing prices that month. Scott Horsley, NPR, 12 May 2026 The bus idled in a parking lot while the driver, Evan Prothero, and the choir director deliberated. Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 9 May 2026 Three years earlier, Russian aluminum manufacturer Rusal had idled its Eurallumina factory nearby. IEEE Spectrum, 7 May 2026 On a cold, drizzly December day in 2022, Demonbreun-Chapman idled his boat on the Coosawattee River, a waterway that feeds into the Conasauga near Calhoun. Dylan Jackson, ABC News, 6 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idled
Verb
  • Emily Ratajkowski lounged on a beach in Spain with her 5-year-old son Sylvester Apollo Bear wearing a tiny animal print bikini.
    Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 23 July 2026
  • In the center, a cluster of tortellini lounged in a pool of truffle-flecked butter sauce.
    Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026
Verb
  • Earlier this month, Eva Longoria strolled through the streets of Spain in a black and white dress that truly has no limits.
    Alyssa Grabinski, PEOPLE, 27 July 2026
  • Harry and Archie strolled ahead of Lilibet, who wore a floral dress with metallic sandals while touting a tiny purse.
    Hannah Malach, InStyle, 23 July 2026
Verb
  • But, lucky for anyone who dawdled, many of the deals are still active.
    Adam Campbell-Schmitt, Bon Appetit Magazine, 27 June 2026
  • Flight attendants turned into drill sergeants, barking at passengers who flouted mask rules or dawdled too long eating that snack with the mask off.
    Thomas Black, Twin Cities, 21 Dec. 2025
Verb
  • Three four-legged friends chilled along the Hudson River at the Hertz Gold Squad Hangout, clearly enjoying being petted by concert-goers taking in the music.
    Lori Majewski, Rolling Stone, 31 July 2026
  • There's a Himalayan salt room, cold plunge pools, an infrared sauna and a snow shower chilled to 14 degrees, plus a large co-ed sauna big enough to double as an event space.
    Winston Ross, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Verb
  • The pigs that would soon enough become lunch lazed in the compost-pile mud in front of a five-star-hotel-worthy view of the Cretan Sea.
    Shannon McMahon, Condé Nast Traveler, 1 July 2026
  • Further on, sandy-colored cows lazed in the mid-morning sun.
    Sarah Henry, AZCentral.com, 18 Jan. 2026
Verb
  • But whatever their poison the night before, guests all appear at breakfast with the unfakeable air of being truly rested.
    Delilah Khomo, Vanity Fair, 8 Aug. 2026
  • For more than a century, the problem rested squarely in the realm of number theory.
    Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 6 Aug. 2026
Verb
  • Helicopters roar overhead, reminding me that last week people were worried the Oscars were going to get droned.
    Rachel Handler, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2026
  • Temperatures rose above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, air conditioners droned, and power cuts followed.
    Nik Kowsar, Time, 2 Oct. 2025
Verb
  • In a clip posted to her Instagram Stories, the Duchess of Sussex wore her pajamas while cooking breakfast as music played in the background.
    Hannah Malach, InStyle, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Upon her return to Chase Center, Los Angeles Sparks guard Kate Martin receives a pregame tribute video and a standing ovation; Martin played one season for the Valkyries before being cut in training camp this year.
    Brian Hamilton, New York Times, 4 Aug. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Idled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idled. Accessed 10 Aug. 2026.

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