variants
also lallygag
as in to delay
to move or act slowly
accused the government of lollygagging while survivors of the earthquake continued to live in the most wretched conditions
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Recent Examples of lollygag
Knueppel didn’t seem to know how to lollygag through a workout, even one of the early-morning shootarounds where NBA players are just waking up.
—
Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026
For the players, the summer is not a time to lollygag.
—Eliav Appelbaum, Daily News, 1 May 2025
For perspective, the Tesla S Plaid, the current poster child for electric vehicle acceleration, lollygags its way to 60 in 1.98 seconds, according to Motor Trend magazine tests.
—Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 21 Mar. 2023
Scott Fowler, Charlotte Observer, 8 Apr. 2026
For the players, the summer is not a time to lollygag.
—Eliav Appelbaum, Daily News, 1 May 2025
For perspective, the Tesla S Plaid, the current poster child for electric vehicle acceleration, lollygags its way to 60 in 1.98 seconds, according to Motor Trend magazine tests.
—Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 21 Mar. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lollygag
Verb
-
When that early foundation is delayed or inconsistent, the effects don’t stay confined to those first years.—
Tina Dello Russo,
Boston Herald,
10 May 2026
-
San Diego is delaying most impacts of a new state law that requires cities to allow high-rise housing near trolley stations and major bus stops — but questions persist about how many bus stops the new law will affect.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
Verb
-
Damp conditions inside the drum encourage mildew and lingering odors that can be tough to remove from fabric.—
Lauren Jarvis-Gibson,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2026
-
The filmmaker explores how Inés’ coming of age mirrors the lingering wounds of Chile’s political transition to democracy from the dictatorship of General Augusto Pinochet – a theme at the heart of Martelli’s feature debut Chile ’76, which premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes.—
Georg Szalai,
HollywoodReporter,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
After losing her friend Yo, Anna spends a decade obsessively building a detailed one-third-scale replica of her house — just large enough to crawl inside — where a puppet version of Yo still lives.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
-
Ahmed Moustafa, who operates a halal cart near Yankee Stadium, is still crawling out from the pandemic.—
Yuna Kim,
New York Daily News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
The Carboniferous period dragged on for sixty million.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
-
Perhaps the aether did exist, but it could never be construed as being in motion by an observer on the Earth, because the aether itself was being dragged by objects traveling through space, such as the Earth, explaining why a null result was obtained.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
Aggressive bears are known to stalk, claw and even bite tourists in Great Smoky National Park, but rangers say one recent encounter involved a bear poking a hiker with its big wet nose.—
Mark Price
May 12,
Charlotte Observer,
12 May 2026
-
Many curious passersby poked their heads inside, wondering if the restaurant was serving food again.—
Iris Kwok
May 12,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
Flight attendants turned into drill sergeants, barking at passengers who flouted mask rules or dawdled too long eating that snack with the mask off.—
Thomas Black,
Twin Cities,
21 Dec. 2025
-
My request to ownership is don’t dawdle.—
DP Opinion,
Denver Post,
19 Oct. 2025
Verb
-
For comfortable weather to stroll the French Quarter and live music without peak-event pricing, the best time to visit New Orleans is in the fall, just after the height of hurricane season.—
Cameron Beall,
Southern Living,
10 May 2026
-
Just minutes from downtown, Andreas Canyon feels like strolling through an ancient desert oasis.—
Christina Pérez,
Vogue,
8 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lollygag.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lollygag. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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