idles

Definition of idlesnext
present tense third-person singular 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 idles As your car idles, warm air blown from the top of your dashboard will melt the ice on the outside of the windshield. Meghan Overdeep, Southern Living, 27 Dec. 2025 Security camera footage shows a black vehicle park in front of Café Bernardo, a restaurant, and idles for about two minutes. Madisen Keavy, CBS News, 17 Dec. 2025 The high-output Arco Zeus alternator cuts recharge time in half compared to earlier models and can charge the battery bank even while the Sprinter engine idles. Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 26 Nov. 2025 The film just idles on the runway. Tim Grierson, Vulture, 18 Oct. 2025 As our car idles, Lucas Nascimento Morgado, a young biologist who works for a jaguar NGO called Onçafari here in the southern Brazilian Pantanal, grins giddily. Megan Spurrell, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Aug. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idles
Verb
  • But while the new movie dawdles on its way to Toxie’s origins, then rushes toward a finale with a lurching rhythm that verges on calculated ineptitude, its spirit never feels inauthentic.
    Alison Willmore, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Somebody who is just living greatness and never rests on that laurel but is always pushing herself to expand as an artist.
    Bailey Richards, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
  • And never rests on that laurel but is always pushing herself to expand as an artist.
    Yi-Jin Yu, ABC News, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Inhalers often contain albuterol, a bronchodilator that relaxes the muscles and opens up the airway.
    Carrie Madormo, Verywell Health, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Pete Davidson relaxes backstage before taking to the carpet for CinemaCon to promote his upcoming film How to Rob a Bank in Las Vegas on April 15.
    Escher Walcott, PEOPLE, 19 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Anna strolls down Fifth Avenue, passing the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and makes her way to a hotel, where her friend Claire works.
    Alexandra Jhamb Burns, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Apr. 2026
  • The traditional 13th day of the Iranian New Year brought families together for picnics, music and nature strolls.
    Gonzalo Zegarra, CNN Money, 2 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Aasif Mandvi and Christopher Fitzgerald barely register as Jane and Julia’s oblivious husbands, while Consuelos, who plays Maurice as a suave cuckolder with a dodgy European accent, should probably stick to daytime TV.
    Brent Lang, Variety, 20 Apr. 2026
  • Experts say that’s because magnesium plays an important role in our health.
    Anahad O’Connor, Washington Post, 20 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • The current crisis in Iran has sent memories bubbling to the surface for the collective, and chills down the spines of viewers.
    Chloe Shrager, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026
  • Uncertainty chills the market TOPSHOT - Smoke rises from the direction of an energy installation in the Gulf emirate of Fujairah on March 14, 2026.
    Greg Iacurci, CNBC, 25 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Critical thinking really bums them out.
    Ed Masley, AZCentral.com, 13 Mar. 2026
  • Then Jason and Thor shower together, each lathering the other’s back and bums up with fewer orgasms than an old Herbal Essences commercial.
    Brian Moylan, Vulture, 4 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • While attendance has improved following partial compensation measures, the damage to morale and institutional trust lingers.
    Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 23 Apr. 2026
  • Evoking a lifeless image to start a conversation about energy flow was counterintuitive, but the image lingers and proves his point.
    Jasna Hodžić, Big Think, 22 Apr. 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Idles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idles. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.

More from Merriam-Webster on idles

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster