LINGERED Synonyms: 100 Similar and Opposite Words

lingered

verb

past tense of linger

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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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 lingered Events ranging from a baby parade in Flint, Michigan, to a rock concert in Herndon, Virginia, and the America’s Mile marathon in Pittsburgh were canceled Friday as smoke lingered. — Dalia Faheid, CNN Money, 18 July 2026 But concerns have lingered, especially after major wins on contracts involving US government policy or actions. — Nate Anderson, ArsTechnica, 16 July 2026 PayPal, whose shares have lingered close to 10-year lows, isn’t interested in a deal with the bidding group at this time, these people said. — Rohan Goswami, semafor.com, 15 July 2026 Schwarber and Bryce Harper, who bowed out in the opening round, lingered on the field, their children running around them. — Charlotte Varnes, New York Times, 14 July 2026 At the Pfizer building on East Forty-second Street, earlier this week, disaster, and the sense of excitement that disaster can create, lingered. — D. T. Max, New Yorker, 11 July 2026 Because the problem lingered, the break presented an opportunity to address it before the second half. — Maddie Lee, Los Angeles Times, 10 July 2026 Tasters picked up notes of fresh yellow corn, balanced by gentle sweetness and a deeper roasted, savory character that lingered after each bite. — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 9 July 2026 That’s the lesson that lingered long after that statement was made. — Datwon Thomas, VIBE.com, 9 July 2026

Recent Examples of Synonyms for lingered

Verb

Eckert was interviewed again earlier this month after the process was initially delayed, with Southampton’s head coach back in Germany and recently becoming a father.

— Jacob Tanswell, New York Times, 22 July 2026
Gen Alphas seem to know almost immediately when something is fake, overproduced, delayed or culturally disconnected, which is why the strongest content right now often feels chaotic.

— Kelly Samuel, Forbes.com, 21 July 2026

Definition of delayed

Verb

Who dragged bags of footballs onto the field before practice?

— Alec Lewis, New York Times, 24 July 2026
While that shutdown ostensibly ended in mid-November, a partial government shutdown dragged on through April, snarling the Department of Homeland Security and causing long delays and confusion at airports across the country.

— Drew Pittock, USA Today, 23 July 2026

Definition of dragged

Verb

Before McDaniel’s first NFL game, one Vikings defender aggressively poked his left eye in practice.

— Alec Lewis, New York Times, 24 July 2026
It’s now understood that Russia in 2016 poked the election systems in all 50 states to check what protections were in place and accessed—but did not change—some very local registration rosters in Florida and Illinois.

— Philip Elliott, Time, 17 July 2026

Definition of poked

Verb

Flash flood warnings were then issued again for New York City and nearby states as thunderstorms crawled across the region on Tuesday afternoon and evening.

— Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 23 July 2026
Hull testified that Robinson later returned in different clothing, walking with a limp, rolled onto the roof of a building on campus and crawled to the edge of the rooftop around the time the shot was fired.

— N'dea Yancey-Bragg, USA Today, 10 July 2026

Definition of crawled

Verb

Other executives, coaches and support staff loitered in the hall, speaking in hushed tones if at all.

— Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 1 May 2026
In the petition filing, Buckingham wrote that Dick had loitered around his and his family members’ homes, called repeatedly and left threatening voicemails, and taped a photo collage of herself and Buckingham to his mailbox.

— Senior Television, Los Angeles Times, 12 Apr. 2026

Definition of loitered

Verb

Some 10 men armed with clubs and crowbars crept into the warehouse, unaware that their inside man had changed his mind and ratted them out.

— Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 21 July 2026
Additionally, coffee intake was self-reported, meaning that inaccuracies could have crept in.

— Stephanie Anderson Witmer, Health, 21 July 2026

Definition of crept

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linger

lingered

lingerer

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“Lingered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lingered. Accessed 27 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of lingered

verb

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