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linger

verb

ˈliŋ-gər How to pronounce linger (audio)
Definition of lingernext
as in to delay
to move or act slowly since they were charging by the hour, the house painters lingered in finishing up their work

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 linger On Sunday, the flood threat will be in parts of the Lower Midwest and Ohio Valley, while the severe threat will linger in the central Plains. — ABC News, 19 Sep. 2026 The last lingering customers left, and the dismantling began. — Leah Asmelash, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026 Fazio has sought to tap into voters’ lingering frustrations over electric rates by placing the issue at the center of his messaging. — John Moritz, Hartford Courant, 18 Sep. 2026 Monday stays mostly cloudy and cooler with a lingering shower possible, then an even cooler pattern settles in Tuesday and Wednesday. — Kate Bilo, CBS News, 18 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for linger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for linger
  1. delay
  2. drag
  3. crawl
  4. poke
  5. loiter
  6. stroll
Verb
  • Peterson agreed without hesitation to stay on and help with the funeral, delaying the start of his new position by two weeks.
    — Martin Goillandeau, CNN Money, 19 Sep. 2026
  • While some homeowners like to overseed warm-season lawns with a cool-season grass to keep the lawn green all winter, overseeding a permanent warm-season lawn with cool-season grasses may actually weaken it by delaying next spring’s early growth.
    — Mary Marlowe Leverette, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of delay
Verb
  • Over the past 12 months, the stock has fallen 18%, dragging McDonald's market value down to about $175 billion.
    — Amelia Lucas, CNBC, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Those votes are increasingly challenging for some GOP senators as the war drags on.
    — Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of drag
Verb
  • There’s also a less than 10% chance of showers, if one of the hurricanes crawls farther up the coast, according to Wofford.
    — Alex Wigglesworth, Los Angeles Times, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Throughout the spring, there are fests crawling up both coasts and in between, too.
    — Norma A. Orovitz, Miami Herald, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of crawl
Verb
  • Flip and continue to cook until the flesh begins to flake when poked with a fork, 1 to 2 minutes.
    — Kate Williams, AJC.com, 21 Sep. 2026
  • Don’t bury the rhizomes when planting—the tops should just poke above the soil surface.
    — Brandee Gruener, Southern Living, 19 Sep. 2026
Definition of poke
Verb
  • The storm could then loiter just off the coast into next week.
    — Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
  • The rock kids, the funk kids, the disco-ers, the club rats are all fleetingly conjoined by one pair of highly attuned ears loitering on the streets.
    — Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 7 Sep. 2026
Definition of loiter
Verb
  • Katy Perry and her boyfriend, former prime minister of Canada Justin Trudeau, were strolling through the galleries alongside Doja Cat, who introduced herself to Miranda Kerr and Evan Spiegel.
    — John Ross, Vanity Fair, 20 Sep. 2026
  • Add a denim jacket in a different wash from your pants, and the result is a fall outfit made for cozy afternoons at the coffee shop or strolling through the park.
    — Alex Sales, Glamour, 20 Sep. 2026
Definition of stroll

Browse Nearby Words

line up
linger
lingered
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Linger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/linger. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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