as in drags
to move or act slowly
since they were charging by the hour, the house painters lingered in finishing up their work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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 lingers
Dogs run freely in the green meadows and forests, where the smell of cooking fires lingers in the air and cottonwood seeds blanket dirt roads crisscrossing the site.
—
Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
Ocean carriers have largely dropped their plans to return to the Red Sea as the conflict lingers.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 24 Mar. 2026
See video … BRIT HUME — US has won Iran conflict militarily, but one question lingers.
—FOXNews.com, 24 Mar. 2026
If the war lingers, farmers could grow a lot less corn and other crops that are fertilizer rich.
—Chris Tye, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
The ghost of the dead hockey coach also lingers throughout this episode.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026
Each sip ends with some pleasant heat on the back end, a nice, warming finish that lingers for a few minutes, along with some tannic oak that does not go overboard into bitterness.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 22 Mar. 2026
Rather than depicting the blast itself, Testament focuses on what lingers.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 17 Mar. 2026
But because relatively few lightning strikes are documented, the question often lingers.
—Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
Grant Stringer, Mercury News, 26 Mar. 2026
Ocean carriers have largely dropped their plans to return to the Red Sea as the conflict lingers.
—Glenn Taylor, Sourcing Journal, 24 Mar. 2026
See video … BRIT HUME — US has won Iran conflict militarily, but one question lingers.
—FOXNews.com, 24 Mar. 2026
If the war lingers, farmers could grow a lot less corn and other crops that are fertilizer rich.
—Chris Tye, CBS News, 23 Mar. 2026
The ghost of the dead hockey coach also lingers throughout this episode.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 23 Mar. 2026
Each sip ends with some pleasant heat on the back end, a nice, warming finish that lingers for a few minutes, along with some tannic oak that does not go overboard into bitterness.
—Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 22 Mar. 2026
Rather than depicting the blast itself, Testament focuses on what lingers.
—Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 17 Mar. 2026
But because relatively few lightning strikes are documented, the question often lingers.
—Jacob Stern, The Atlantic, 16 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lingers
Verb
-
As the war drags on, Americans are growing pessimistic about the economy, according to some surveys and polls.—
Bryan Mena,
CNN Money,
1 Apr. 2026
-
And in late February, just as attention began to shift away from Gaza, Israel and the United States launched a joint attack on Iran—a potentially epochal war that may end up dividing Jewish Americans no less than the Gaza war did, particularly if the conflict drags on and casualties mount.—
Eyal Press,
New Yorker,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
That delays emptying of the stomach.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
27 Mar. 2026
-
But having firefighters wait before starting preparations also delays when they can be dispatched to emergencies, which has lengthened response times — and has likely cost many lives across the city, the 60-page audit says.—
David Garrick,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In the book, Grace drags Rocky back to his part of the ship, exposing himself to the Eridian environment; in the film, Rocky crawls back while Grace is unconscious.—
Matthew Razak,
Space.com,
23 Mar. 2026
-
The Shops at Yale recently announced the return of the New Haven food crawls and have added a date in December, according to a statement.—
Staff Report,
Hartford Courant,
18 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In April, ruby-red paintbrush pokes out of the ground, and in late summer, vibrant yellow rabbitbrush flowers join the mix.—
Madison Chapman,
Outside,
25 Mar. 2026
-
The nurturing Moon pokes Mars today, drawing attention to your 2nd House of Objects and your 11th House of Groups.—
Tarot.com,
Chicago Tribune,
24 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lingers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lingers. Accessed 2 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
