as in delayed
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
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Recent Examples of lingered
Some doubts still lingered as to whether Jax was, indeed, Gracie's puppy.
—
Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
Some people drained their toilet bowls in order to breathe air through the plumbing as the smoke lingered and covered them in yellow soot.
—Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2025
Surrounded by both sides of their family, the couple leaned on their support system — but fear lingered.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
According to the book, Hunter Biden’s anger lingered for months after the June 2024 event.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 21 Oct. 2025
Negotiations with Rodgers lingered.
—Zach Berman, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
The indelible smell lingered — to the point of me thinking of skipping out on my perfume du jour.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2025
The little injustice lingered in his memory, a moment in which an adult betrayed the children in his care.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2025
The last man lingered by the door, looking mildly confused.
—Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Jack Beresford, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Oct. 2025
Some people drained their toilet bowls in order to breathe air through the plumbing as the smoke lingered and covered them in yellow soot.
—Julia Coin, Charlotte Observer, 23 Oct. 2025
Surrounded by both sides of their family, the couple leaned on their support system — but fear lingered.
—Jordan Greene, PEOPLE, 22 Oct. 2025
According to the book, Hunter Biden’s anger lingered for months after the June 2024 event.
—Lizzie Lanuza, StyleCaster, 21 Oct. 2025
Negotiations with Rodgers lingered.
—Zach Berman, New York Times, 17 Oct. 2025
The indelible smell lingered — to the point of me thinking of skipping out on my perfume du jour.
—Stacia Datskovska, Footwear News, 15 Oct. 2025
The little injustice lingered in his memory, a moment in which an adult betrayed the children in his care.
—Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Oct. 2025
The last man lingered by the door, looking mildly confused.
—Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lingered
Verb
-
Two out of three lanes are closed and traffic is delayed on the inner loop of Interstate 485 in northwest Charlotte after a tractor trailer overturned Tuesday morning.—
Jeff A. Chamer,
Charlotte Observer,
21 Oct. 2025
-
What Happens Next The longer the government shutdown takes to resolve, the more likely additional programs could be impacted and delayed, according to Newsom’s office.—
Suzanne Blake,
MSNBC Newsweek,
21 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Stephens said there were signs of a struggle, and Thomas' body had been dragged about 180 feet into the woods.—
Bill Bowden,
Arkansas Online,
24 Oct. 2025
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Whether the week dragged or flew by, the weekend has arrived — and so have a host of events across the Sacramento region, from family outings and concerts to high school football and college sports.—
Marcus Smith,
Sacbee.com,
24 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Aeration is the process of creating air spaces in a lawn, usually via 3-inch holes poked into the soil at regular intervals.—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
22 Oct. 2025
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Several poked fun at the moment through lighthearted comments, while others expressed how their own canines also like to fill their days with an abundance of naps.—
Melissa Fleur Afshar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Modern Wall Street has killed just about everything cool that walks or crawled at one time or another.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
23 Oct. 2025
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The van’s driver then crawled out of his vehicle’s window, crossed over a median and was instantly struck by a car speeding in the opposite direction, which was broadcast by the news helicopter following the chase.—
Brian Niemietz,
Mercury News,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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Less than two hours before the Raptors were scheduled to begin their home season with a game against the Milwaukee Bucks, head coach Darko Rajaković strolled into a small room adjacent to the team’s locker room, as usual.—
Eric Koreen,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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On Thursday, April 3, Carey and Monroe strolled into the room while Moroccan was live on the streaming platform Twitch for about 10 minutes playing video games with friends.—
Kayla Grant,
PEOPLE,
30 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The memories of those late-game collapses crept in when the Sabres’ 4-2 lead became 4-3 early in the third period.—
Matthew Fairburn,
New York Times,
25 Oct. 2025
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But, throughout the decades, housing developments crept toward wildlands, the climate warmed, and fires increasingly escalated into unstoppable urban conflagrations.—
Ingfei Chen,
New Yorker,
22 Oct. 2025
Verb
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There, the crop continued to grow while white-faced ibis and killdeer birds loitered around the water.—
Jake Goodrick,
Sacbee.com,
4 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lingered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lingered. Accessed 28 Oct. 2025.
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