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
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of linger
Mold loves moisture, so removing lingering dampness helps prevent regrowth.
—
Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 3 Mar. 2026
According to surveys, Americans already have a gloomy outlook on the economy, largely because of the lingering effects of the price spikes of the past five years.
—Christopher Rugaber, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Those questions lingered for some a day after the shooting.
—David Clarey, jsonline.com, 3 Mar. 2026
New York — Global stocks closed lower Tuesday after a volatile day that saw the Dow briefly tumble by more than 1,200 points as concerns linger among investors that the widening conflict in the Middle East could escalate further.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for linger
Jessica Safavimehr, Southern Living, 3 Mar. 2026
According to surveys, Americans already have a gloomy outlook on the economy, largely because of the lingering effects of the price spikes of the past five years.
—Christopher Rugaber, Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar. 2026
Those questions lingered for some a day after the shooting.
—David Clarey, jsonline.com, 3 Mar. 2026
New York — Global stocks closed lower Tuesday after a volatile day that saw the Dow briefly tumble by more than 1,200 points as concerns linger among investors that the widening conflict in the Middle East could escalate further.
—John Towfighi, CNN Money, 3 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for linger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for linger
Verb
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Voting on the first day was delayed when security officials picked up a cell phone signal inside the Sistine Chapel, O’Connell writes.—
Christopher Lamb,
CNN Money,
1 Mar. 2026
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Mehta reminded the judge that Cox tried to delay a previous trial by requesting to self represent.—
Amy DeLaura,
The Washington Examiner,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Miller made efforts to clean up the scene before dragging the 86-year-old’s body to a cellar under the shed, where she was later found, the indictment read.—
Karina Tsui,
CNN Money,
6 Mar. 2026
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Each team has to drag three giant snakes through a bunch of obstacles and then get a ball through a snake maze to win immunity.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Keep beverages and sweets covered, and be wary of drinking from soda cans outdoors since wasps can crawl inside.—
Karen Brewer Grossman,
Southern Living,
5 Mar. 2026
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The animal had crawled into a drain pipe during a cold snap and could not turn around to escape.—
Ryan Brennan,
Kansas City Star,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Nothing really itches my brain like a crisp white tee poking out the top of a sweater.—
Amanda Le,
InStyle,
3 Mar. 2026
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Parr’s humor is also detectably British, with a poking quality that only rarely verges into outright peevishness.—
Lauren Collins,
New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Instead of relying only on high-value aircraft and expensive cruise missiles, commanders are now adding scalable drones that can loiter for hours and strike when the moment is right.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
4 Mar. 2026
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Some of them waiting in the hallway outside the ICE check-in office were told by federal officers that they were not allowed to loiter, said Patrick Corrigan, a volunteer with the Faithful Accompaniment in Trust and Hope, or FAITH, program, which faith organizations launched last summer.—
Alexandra Mendoza,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
4 Mar. 2026
Verb
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For a more leisurely pace, stroll the Luray-Hawksbill Greenway, a two-mile, handicap accessible trail that the whole family can enjoy.—
Jennifer Prince,
Southern Living,
28 Feb. 2026
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Visit the cooking patio and garden center stage for seminars, stroll the garden promenade that features design trends and hardscaping products, or attend gardening presentations on container gardens and water-wise gardening.—
Elaine Rewolinski,
jsonline.com,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Linger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/linger. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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