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 sublime—a concept introduced by the first-century philosopher Longinus and later refined by Edmund Burke and Immanuel Kant—rests on an encounter with something too immense or too powerful for the human mind to comprehend fully.
    Sebastian Smee, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
  • Our evidence rests in the eight spindly tomato plants poking up from small containers next to a large window in our back room.
    Jerry Shnay, Chicago Tribune, 4 May 2026
Verb
  • The new documentary includes footage of this shocking moment, showing Attenborough pressed to the ground as a young gorilla relaxes on top of him, seemingly unbothered by the man in their midst.
    Kelli Bender, PEOPLE, 5 May 2026
  • The color forges a deep connection with nature that simultaneously relaxes and energizes.
    Sophie Flaxman, Better Homes & Gardens, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Keep scrolling to discover why the best canvas totes are taking over this spring and summer—perfect for every sunny scenario, from Sunday strolls to the farmers’ market to office hours.
    Laura Jackson, Vogue, 28 Apr. 2026
  • For city strolls A white button-down is the foundation of some of the most reliable travel outfits—especially for long walking days.
    Rosie Marder, Travel + Leisure, 28 Apr. 2026
Verb
  • Alegría directed half of the show’s eight episodes; Urrejola plays the key character of Blanca.
    Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 4 May 2026
  • The addition of the guest play-callers, Close and women’s water polo coach Adam Wright, led to a variety of trick plays throughout the game.
    Sean Campbell, Los Angeles Times, 3 May 2026
Verb
  • This nifty side table chills beverages for hours while doubling as a convenient spot to set down drinks or snacks.
    Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 21 Apr. 2026
  • 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
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
  • The night footage is especially beautiful and memorable, and the careful handling of light shapes an aesthetic that lingers well beyond the final frame.
    Matthew Carey, Deadline, 7 May 2026
  • Spiking energy costs as the war in the Middle East lingers.
    Matt Egan, CNN Money, 7 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Idles.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idles. Accessed 10 May. 2026.

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