as in delayed
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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Recent Examples of lingered
That feeling lingered until last summer, when my 10-year-old niece asked to take a weekend trip—just the two of us—while the rest of her family was in Boston.
—
Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 2026
The nervous, edgy atmosphere that at times lingered around the stadium during their goalless draw with Fulham on Sunday was easy to understand.
—Paul Taylor, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Our subsequent Nora movie nights had to be spaced apart because a pall descended and lingered for days after them.
—Han Ong, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026
The train lingered for about 30 minutes before pulling into 14th St.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 13 Mar. 2026
Reserves like Malachi Smith and Eric Reibe have directly contributed to winning some of the team’s biggest games of the year, as have Jayden Ross and Jaylin Stewart, but consistency issues with the bench have lingered throughout Big East play.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 12 Mar. 2026
The morning’s indictment lingered in my mind.
—Mckay Coppins, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026
The bouncy seventh-year center suffered a severe right ankle sprain on the first day of training camp and the pain has lingered for five months, limiting his mobility and effectiveness on both ends of the floor.
—Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 11 Mar. 2026
Simons fractured his wrist in training camp with the Boston Celtics, an injury that lingered after briefly sidelining him at the start of the season.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
Rachel Chang, Travel + Leisure, 16 Mar. 2026
The nervous, edgy atmosphere that at times lingered around the stadium during their goalless draw with Fulham on Sunday was easy to understand.
—Paul Taylor, New York Times, 16 Mar. 2026
Our subsequent Nora movie nights had to be spaced apart because a pall descended and lingered for days after them.
—Han Ong, New Yorker, 15 Mar. 2026
The train lingered for about 30 minutes before pulling into 14th St.
—Voice Of The People, New York Daily News, 13 Mar. 2026
Reserves like Malachi Smith and Eric Reibe have directly contributed to winning some of the team’s biggest games of the year, as have Jayden Ross and Jaylin Stewart, but consistency issues with the bench have lingered throughout Big East play.
—Joe Arruda, Hartford Courant, 12 Mar. 2026
The morning’s indictment lingered in my mind.
—Mckay Coppins, The Atlantic, 12 Mar. 2026
The bouncy seventh-year center suffered a severe right ankle sprain on the first day of training camp and the pain has lingered for five months, limiting his mobility and effectiveness on both ends of the floor.
—Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 11 Mar. 2026
Simons fractured his wrist in training camp with the Boston Celtics, an injury that lingered after briefly sidelining him at the start of the season.
—Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lingered
Verb
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The disruptions were most severe at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, with more than 200 flights canceled and more than 500 delayed, including departures and arrivals.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
17 Mar. 2026
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Most airline mobile apps will immediately notify you when your trip is delayed, but flight tracking can help savvy travelers anticipate delays before the departure board officially turns red.—
Graham Rapier,
Condé Nast Traveler,
17 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Petzold dragged his chair a little closer to listen.—
Holden Seidlitz,
New Yorker,
20 Mar. 2026
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As the suspect began to drive off, the 66-year-old woman was dragged by the car, and her mother was run over, court documents show.—
JT Moodee Lockman,
CBS News,
19 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Since then, the president has repeatedly poked at the vulnerability.—
Taryn Luna,
Los Angeles Times,
17 Mar. 2026
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Many spectators poked fun at the efforts of Chicago police to confiscate and collect BORGs in viral posts over the weekend.—
Madeline King,
Chicago Tribune,
16 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Back then, the French capital’s central road networks crawled with automobiles.—
Lisa Courbebaisse,
CNN Money,
21 Mar. 2026
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One roach crawled near his dead buddy and three raised a reach-in cooler with food across from the cookline.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
20 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The family finished their drinks and strolled leisurely back into the show.—
Brian Truitt,
USA Today,
16 Mar. 2026
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Bagpipers, local Irish organizations, Union members, Irish dance groups and high school marching bands from across the country strolled along, passing out beads, candy and other small things.—
Eva Remijan-Toba,
Chicago Tribune,
14 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Stella crossed the street and loitered outside the store window displaying haughty mannequins flaunting swagger coats.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
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At the start of that brief official visit, his first, five military-grade drones loitered dangerously near Dublin Airport’s busiest civilian flight paths unopposed.—
Paul Iddon,
Forbes.com,
30 Dec. 2025
Verb
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West Texas Intermediate, the benchmark for domestic oil prices, has remained at or below $100 per barrel for nearly two weeks, while Brent Crude, the benchmark for international oil prices, has crept back up toward $110.—
Tiana Lowe Doescher,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
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While Chavez was a controversial figure even in his own era, a dark shadow crept over his legacy as reactions began pouring in Wednesday, after one of his strongest allies, Dolores Huerta, 96, posted a statement on her foundation’s website accusing him of rape.—
Ryan Carter,
Daily News,
18 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lingered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lingered. Accessed 24 Mar. 2026.
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