as in lingered
to move or act slowly
don't loiter in this neighborhood after dark
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Recent Examples of loitered
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
Stella crossed the street and loitered outside the store window displaying haughty mannequins flaunting swagger coats.
—Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
At the start of that brief official visit, his first, five military-grade drones loitered dangerously near Dublin Airport’s busiest civilian flight paths unopposed.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 30 Dec. 2025
The hotel is a short walk from the Jericho Tavern, where Radiohead played its first gig, in 1986, and around the corner from a now shuttered HMV, in whose aisles Donwood and Yorke once loitered, scouting the competition.
—Zoe Si, New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2025
The drones also loitered above an Irish Navy vessel that had secretly deployed for Zelensky's visit.
—Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
There, the crop continued to grow while white-faced ibis and killdeer birds loitered around the water.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2025
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
Stella crossed the street and loitered outside the store window displaying haughty mannequins flaunting swagger coats.
—Literary Hub, 13 Mar. 2026
At the start of that brief official visit, his first, five military-grade drones loitered dangerously near Dublin Airport’s busiest civilian flight paths unopposed.
—Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 30 Dec. 2025
The hotel is a short walk from the Jericho Tavern, where Radiohead played its first gig, in 1986, and around the corner from a now shuttered HMV, in whose aisles Donwood and Yorke once loitered, scouting the competition.
—Zoe Si, New Yorker, 19 Dec. 2025
The drones also loitered above an Irish Navy vessel that had secretly deployed for Zelensky's visit.
—Peter Aitken, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Dec. 2025
There, the crop continued to grow while white-faced ibis and killdeer birds loitered around the water.
—Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 4 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loitered
Verb
-
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
Verb
-
Space Launch Delta 45’s weather squadron forecasts only a 35% chance for good conditions at the launch site Tuesday, which increases to 65% on Wednesday and 85% if delayed to Thursday.—
Richard Tribou,
The Orlando Sentinel,
12 May 2026
-
The singer’s lawyers had initially pushed for an immediate preliminary hearing — in which a judge determines if prosecutors have enough evidence to bring a case to trial — but have since backed off and delayed the process.—
James Queally,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
Verb
-
On March 14, visiting SDFC led FC Dallas 3-1 before Petar Musa dragged the home side back.—
Eddie Brown,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
9 May 2026
-
The Carboniferous period dragged on for sixty million.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
Verb
-
When a Republican says something foolish, network anchors react like a gator just crawled into the studio wearing a MAGA hat.—
Larry Clifton,
The Orlando Sentinel,
3 May 2026
-
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
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 candidate strolled in with a videographer and photographer.—
Gustavo Arellano,
Los Angeles Times,
12 May 2026
-
In the name of growth and connectivity, the North Carolina Department of Transportation strolled through McCrorey Heights and other neighborhoods telling, not asking, residents to leave.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
11 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Loitered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loitered. Accessed 13 May. 2026.
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