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
Over a lifetime, filmmaker Lynne Sachs has collected business cards—mementos of brief exchanges with strangers—and selects seven to uncover why these moments have lingered so vividly in her memory.
—
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 6 May 2026
The girls, buzzed on miniature cans of soda, lingered in the liminal space between rolling credits and parental pickup.
—Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
As Volpe’s rehab assignment lingered, José Caballero became a defensive stalwart.
—Levi Weaver, New York Times, 4 May 2026
As sunset approached East Potomac Golf Links on Sunday, golfers lingered around the clubhouse, drinking beers, tallying scores and snapping selfies.
—Rick Maese, Washington Post, 4 May 2026
Spotty showers lingered over Florida and the Carolinas in the hours after the severe weather risk passed.
—Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 3 May 2026
Questions have lingered about whose bullet struck the officer as the suspect ran through security with a long gun toward the ballroom packed with journalists, administration officials and others.
—ABC News, 3 May 2026
The work, originally expected to take months, lingered far longer, prompting several businesses and residents to leave the area.
—Larry Seward, CBS News, 2 May 2026
But in the Crooks case, key questions about motive and mindset have lingered long after the shooting, fueling speculation about what investigators know and why the public still knows so little.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
Matthew Carey, Deadline, 6 May 2026
The girls, buzzed on miniature cans of soda, lingered in the liminal space between rolling credits and parental pickup.
—Anna Wiener, New Yorker, 4 May 2026
As Volpe’s rehab assignment lingered, José Caballero became a defensive stalwart.
—Levi Weaver, New York Times, 4 May 2026
As sunset approached East Potomac Golf Links on Sunday, golfers lingered around the clubhouse, drinking beers, tallying scores and snapping selfies.
—Rick Maese, Washington Post, 4 May 2026
Spotty showers lingered over Florida and the Carolinas in the hours after the severe weather risk passed.
—Mirna Alsharif, NBC news, 3 May 2026
Questions have lingered about whose bullet struck the officer as the suspect ran through security with a long gun toward the ballroom packed with journalists, administration officials and others.
—ABC News, 3 May 2026
The work, originally expected to take months, lingered far longer, prompting several businesses and residents to leave the area.
—Larry Seward, CBS News, 2 May 2026
But in the Crooks case, key questions about motive and mindset have lingered long after the shooting, fueling speculation about what investigators know and why the public still knows so little.
—Stepheny Price, FOXNews.com, 1 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lingered
Verb
-
In California, the Los Angeles County Counsel is probing allegations that State Farm delayed, underpaid and denied valid insurance claims from last year's wildfires.—
Michael Copley,
NPR,
28 Apr. 2026
-
Altman was buried after a private funeral on March 31, after a public service was delayed when his widow went into labor with their daughter.—
Sara Tenenbaum,
CBS News,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Baselitz was charged with offending public morality; the case dragged on for two years before being dismissed, but his reputation was cemented.—
News Desk,
Artforum,
1 May 2026
-
But whether this person galumphed, ambled, or dragged herself up the trail is a matter of what subtleties her movement suggested to you.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Hartman caught the pass and poked it low past Wedgewood while being buried by a Brent Burns check.—
Jess Myers,
Twin Cities,
4 May 2026
-
Joshua poked me in the shoulder.—
Chang-rae Lee,
New Yorker,
3 May 2026
Verb
-
The next day, steady rains caused the F1 Academy race to be cancelled and the first 20 laps of the Miami Grand Prix to be crawled behind the safety car.—
David J. Neal,
Miami Herald,
2 May 2026
-
San Francisco wasted opportunities to score in the second and third, loading the bases in the latter frame, but the Giants crawled their way back to a tie.—
Justice delos Santos,
Mercury News,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Earlier on Sunday, Sai Sudharsan continued his fine form with 87 runs off 46 balls as Gujarat Titans strolled to an eight-wicket win over host Chennai Super Kings.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Yet, as throngs of people strolled the three-block downtown on a recent April weekend, past American flag streamers, patriotic bunting and red brick colonial buildings, there was scant visible evidence of that polarization.—
Karissa Waddick,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
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
-
Stella crossed the street and loitered outside the store window displaying haughty mannequins flaunting swagger coats.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Every scene that would otherwise communicate pandemonium is rendered in the language of sub-Ryan Murphy slop, as if a movie whose production costs reportedly crept toward $200 million could only afford a few extras at a time.—
Paul A. Thompson,
Pitchfork,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Since then, the Phillies have gone 3-15, and the Giants have crept back into the land of the living.—
Grant Brisbee,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lingered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lingered. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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