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
  • The project has dragged on for four years, and Belinda Hernandez-Arriaga, founder of a farmworker advocacy group called ALAS, said the problem at 555 Kelly rests at the local level.
    John Ramos, CBS News, 30 Mar. 2026
  • And America’s constitutional system, unlike Russia’s, rests on consent of the governed.
    Jason Willick, Washington Post, 29 Mar. 2026
Verb
  • Don’t be afraid to suggest budget caps for group plans, because everyone relaxes when guidelines are simple and visible.
    Tarot.com, Sun Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2026
  • Rising Star in Beverly Hills Gable relaxes on the veranda of his new Beverly Hills rental home in this 1931 photo, which accompanied an article in Screenland magazine.
    Katie Schultz, Architectural Digest, 24 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Nicole Kidman exits the theater on her phone and wanders into a side room; Jessie Buckley strolls out of the theater talking about snacks.
    Rachel Handler, Vulture, 16 Mar. 2026
  • Springtime strolls in these cities are simply unparalleled, thanks to their botanical splendor.
    Jessica Sulima, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Feb. 2026
Verb
  • Hsu plays Joy, a morose daughter of two Chinese immigrants.
    Rachel Syme, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
  • When the Heat plays Herro and Powell together, Miami has been outscored by 26 points in 249 minutes this season.
    Barry Jackson, Miami Herald, 30 Mar. 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
  • Dogs run freely in the green meadows and forests, where the smell of cooking fires lingers in the air and cottonwood seeds blanket dirt roads crisscrossing the site.
    Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
  • Ocean carriers have largely dropped their plans to return to the Red Sea as the conflict lingers.
    Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 24 Mar. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Idles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idles. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.

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