as in sleepily
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 idly
But Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby mustered just two shot attempts apiece, spending their time watching idly as the Knicks offense incessantly grinds into a standstill.
—
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026
The boat bobbed idly, water lapping against it.
—Kelso Harper, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
The company isn’t standing idly by, but is working to revamp its offerings to counter the pressure enterprise headcount reductions can put on its traditional seat-license model.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 30 Nov. 2025
Planes that have been inspected and fuelled are now sitting idly on runways.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for idly
Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 6 Jan. 2026
The boat bobbed idly, water lapping against it.
—Kelso Harper, Scientific American, 16 Dec. 2025
The company isn’t standing idly by, but is working to revamp its offerings to counter the pressure enterprise headcount reductions can put on its traditional seat-license model.
—Zev Fima, CNBC, 30 Nov. 2025
Planes that have been inspected and fuelled are now sitting idly on runways.
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for idly
Recent Examples of Synonyms for idly
sleepily
Adverb
-
At first, the reception started out, well, sleepily.—
Katherine Laidlaw,
HubSpot,
14 Nov. 2025
-
Thankfully, as Hank sleepily confesses, James got away.—
Jourdain Searles,
HollywoodReporter,
28 Oct. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Idly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/idly. Accessed 20 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
