as in sleepily
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Recent Examples of idly
Front and center frame, Chiliwhist Jim presides over the scene, and the camera, while the white men and their dog sit or stand idly, receding into the perspectival distance behind him.
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Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
On the other hand, standing idly by while a kid makes concerning choices can feel like an abdication of parental responsibility.
—Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Props malfunctioned, the set grew claustrophobic, and the cast was sometimes left waiting around idly while Scott and cinematographer Derek Vanlint obsessed over lighting details.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2025
The National Guard troops have mostly stood idly next to their vehicles.
—Cate Martel, The Hill, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for idly
Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2025
On the other hand, standing idly by while a kid makes concerning choices can feel like an abdication of parental responsibility.
—Russell Shaw, The Atlantic, 2 Sep. 2025
Props malfunctioned, the set grew claustrophobic, and the cast was sometimes left waiting around idly while Scott and cinematographer Derek Vanlint obsessed over lighting details.
—Matthew Jacobs, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2025
The National Guard troops have mostly stood idly next to their vehicles.
—Cate Martel, The Hill, 19 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for idly
Cite this Entry
“Idly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idly. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
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