as in drags
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 lingers
Nearly every sound lingers like an unanswered question, and the scant bass drums that appear in most tracks are less for keeping time than providing anchor points in an inestimable nebula.
—
Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 29 Jan. 2026
Drought lingers statewide, and Monroe’s water supply is down to about six months, officials said in an online statement Wednesday.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 29 Jan. 2026
The video also shows the projectile appearing to hit the mayor's SUV before quickly driving away, as smoke lingers on the rear end of the car.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 28 Jan. 2026
And, of course, the signature scent lingers just enough to make my curls smell luxe throughout the day.
—Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 27 Jan. 2026
An unexpected concert, a dinner that lingers, a conversation over a wine tasting.
—María Casbas, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Jan. 2026
When people avoid uncomfortable conversations, underperformance lingers.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Even if Toni did get away with one last con, a bleak mood lingers over the credits; even if he wasn't killed, Toni has elected to live a new life as hollow and deceptive as one of his forgeries.
—Rory Doherty, Time, 26 Jan. 2026
Adding insulation to all or a portion of the room can help to prevent the drafty, frigid feeling that lingers in the cold season.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 22 Jan. 2026
Dash Lewis, Pitchfork, 29 Jan. 2026
Drought lingers statewide, and Monroe’s water supply is down to about six months, officials said in an online statement Wednesday.
—Joe Marusak, Charlotte Observer, 29 Jan. 2026
The video also shows the projectile appearing to hit the mayor's SUV before quickly driving away, as smoke lingers on the rear end of the car.
—Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 28 Jan. 2026
And, of course, the signature scent lingers just enough to make my curls smell luxe throughout the day.
—Annie Blay-Tettey, Allure, 27 Jan. 2026
An unexpected concert, a dinner that lingers, a conversation over a wine tasting.
—María Casbas, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Jan. 2026
When people avoid uncomfortable conversations, underperformance lingers.
—Benjamin Laker, Forbes.com, 26 Jan. 2026
Even if Toni did get away with one last con, a bleak mood lingers over the credits; even if he wasn't killed, Toni has elected to live a new life as hollow and deceptive as one of his forgeries.
—Rory Doherty, Time, 26 Jan. 2026
Adding insulation to all or a portion of the room can help to prevent the drafty, frigid feeling that lingers in the cold season.
—Ashlyn Needham, Southern Living, 22 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lingers
Verb
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The scenes that work less well and seem virtually superfluous are those with Kumail Nanjiani as Adeel, an environmental activist who drags Aaron along with him to break into a fracking site that is disturbing the breeding ground of…the sage grouse.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
27 Jan. 2026
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The agent sprays Pretti with a chemical irritant and drags him to his knees as Pretti pulls at the backpack of the other bystander, potentially reaching for a water bottle.—
Thomas Bordeaux,
CNN Money,
25 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Defenses applied the same concepts, too, emphasizing full-court pressure, which delays the opposing attack.—
Fred Katz,
New York Times,
9 Jan. 2026
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The order specifically delays a 30% duty on upholstered furniture and 50% levy on kitchen cabinets and vanities, keeping in place a 25% tariff on those goods that was imposed back in September.—
Sean Conlon,Fred Imbert,
CNBC,
2 Jan. 2026
Verb
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John Tufts The weather outside is about to get frightful as a potentially dangerous winter storm crawls its way across the country.—
John Tufts,
IndyStar,
23 Jan. 2026
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In the video, the coyote crawls out of the water and struggles to get his footing once on the rocks.—
Amanda Hari,
CBS News,
20 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The Moon also pokes lucky Jupiter in your very own sign, which pushes you to show up boldly without overextending yourself.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
24 Jan. 2026
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Is every head that pokes in to look at me actually Frank himself?—
Shane Kowalski,
Harpers Magazine,
30 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Lingers.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lingers. Accessed 1 Feb. 2026.
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