as in lingering
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Dissimilar Words
as in delaying
to move or act slowly
don't loiter in this neighborhood after dark
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of loitering
Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 8 Mar. 2026
Eight adults were charged with offenses, including inciting to riot and loitering and prowling.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
Global powers are increasingly turning to drones and loitering munitions as modern conflicts continue to evolve.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 27 Feb. 2026
Waymo robotaxis are getting ready to carry people around San Antonio, but their rollout has drawn concern from some residents who are creeped out by the cars loitering in their neighborhoods.
—Brandon Lingle, San Antonio Express-News, 23 Feb. 2026
In 2022, state lawmakers decriminalized loitering with the intent to commit prostitution in California.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
Another, more immediate reason is that after 45 years of service, the Stinger is becoming obsolete and increasingly unsuited to a battlefield dominated by loitering munitions, cruise missiles, and drone warfare.
—David Szondy
february 08, New Atlas, 8 Feb. 2026
The crackdown has been unsettling to hospital employees, who said ICE agents have been seen loitering on hospital grounds and asking patients and employees for proof of citizenship.
—Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
One big mistake for instance in recent years stateside was to reduce the seating in many cafés—partly to eliminate loitering concerns in cities, and in favor of mobile and drive-thru formats.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026
Verb
PepsiCo surely pays for the Gatorade coolers loitering behind the benches.
—Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 8 Mar. 2026
Eight adults were charged with offenses, including inciting to riot and loitering and prowling.
—Christopher Harris, CBS News, 5 Mar. 2026
Global powers are increasingly turning to drones and loitering munitions as modern conflicts continue to evolve.
—Chris Young, Interesting Engineering, 27 Feb. 2026
Waymo robotaxis are getting ready to carry people around San Antonio, but their rollout has drawn concern from some residents who are creeped out by the cars loitering in their neighborhoods.
—Brandon Lingle, San Antonio Express-News, 23 Feb. 2026
In 2022, state lawmakers decriminalized loitering with the intent to commit prostitution in California.
—Jakob Rodgers, Mercury News, 18 Feb. 2026
Another, more immediate reason is that after 45 years of service, the Stinger is becoming obsolete and increasingly unsuited to a battlefield dominated by loitering munitions, cruise missiles, and drone warfare.
—David Szondy
february 08, New Atlas, 8 Feb. 2026
The crackdown has been unsettling to hospital employees, who said ICE agents have been seen loitering on hospital grounds and asking patients and employees for proof of citizenship.
—Jack Brook, Los Angeles Times, 31 Jan. 2026
One big mistake for instance in recent years stateside was to reduce the seating in many cafés—partly to eliminate loitering concerns in cities, and in favor of mobile and drive-thru formats.
—Phil Wahba, Fortune, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for loitering
Adjective
-
Thomas missed 57 games last season, mostly because of the same lingering left hamstring issue.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
4 Feb. 2026
-
On the one hand, that means that many survive the disease without serious lingering effects.—
Katherine J. Wu,
The Atlantic,
18 Dec. 2025
Verb
-
The temporary grace period delaying enforcement of the new law also applies to provisions restricting who can use which restrooms and other private spaces on government property.—
Matthew Kelly,
Kansas City Star,
13 Mar. 2026
-
The judge had postponed her sentencing until after the trial, delaying it further until after Serafini was sentenced.—
Rosalio Ahumada,
Sacbee.com,
13 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Others made a break for the bathrooms, crawling or running in a hunched position.—
Emiliano Tahui Gómez,
Austin American Statesman,
8 Mar. 2026
-
When the bus snakes towards San Siro, crawling through the fans, Tomori will feel a familiar emotion.—
James Horncastle,
New York Times,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
But even before that, there were questions and media folks, like myself and others, were poking these questions about the president's former president's acuity and age and how much that was affecting his decision making or ability to run a campaign and even be President of the United States.—
Dana Taylor,
USA Today,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The villains in this TikTok trend are clear, with most of the videos poking fun at narcissistic, annoying, or outright delusional people that just seem to be an inescapable part of life these days.—
CT Jones,
Rolling Stone,
11 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
His legs felt like anchors dragging across the court.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Mar. 2026
-
The war dragging on could also see markets whip back and oil costs continue to soar, especially as the Strait of Hormuz, which carries roughly 20% of the world's oil remains largely impassible.—
Garrett Downs,
CNBC,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The investigation began after a 4-month-old was taken to UPMC Washington after becoming unusually lethargic.—
Shelley Bortz,
CBS News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
Even with dramatically better affordability, rebounds from the Great Recession’s troubles were lethargic.—
Jonathan Lansner,
Oc Register,
2 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
Spend an afternoon strolling around downtown’s Market Square and enjoying the ample greenspace at World’s Fair Park.—
Tara Massouleh McCay,
Southern Living,
11 Mar. 2026
-
Take pictures against the blue-green sea or spend some time relaxing or strolling on the white sand.—
Cailey Rizzo,
Travel + Leisure,
10 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
Our military has destroyed well over 20 inactive mine laying boats with more to come.—
Emily Chang,
ABC News,
12 Mar. 2026
-
The Celtics already were shorthanded entering Tuesday’s game, as key reserves Payton Pritchard (neck) and Nikola Vucevic (finger) both were inactive due to injury.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
11 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Loitering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/loitering. Accessed 16 Mar. 2026.
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