as in idled
to pretend to be sick or injured in order to avoid doing work
Because of his frequent absences, his boss suspected he was malingering.
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Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for malingered
Verb
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Oil tankers and other commercial shippers that would normally travel through the narrow Strait of Hormuz off Iran’s southern coast have been idled due to Iran’s threats and attacks.—
Matt Peterson,
CNBC,
1 Apr. 2026 -
What was supposed to be an uneventful first voyage transporting oil across the Persian Gulf has turned into a nightmare for a 28-year-old sailor from India, who has spent the past month stuck as his ship sits idled by the Iran war.—
Mithil Aggarwal,
NBC news,
27 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Escarra messed with the torpedoes in 2025, but never committed.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
18 Mar. 2026
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The models who went all the way were the ones who ceded to Banks’s worldview, who agreed to have their hair dyed and their teeth messed with and their bodies altered.—
Sophie Gilbert,
The Atlantic,
6 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Some commenters on social media said they were nearly fooled, but others compared the all-white design to certain plates manufactured years ago that are prone to peeling.—
Hope Karnopp,
jsonline.com,
1 Apr. 2026
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Don’t be fooled by the casual, conveyor belt setup; diners rave about its excellent quality and freshness.—
Zoe Baillargeon,
Travel + Leisure,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Takaoka played a long arcing ball-ahead to Ocampo, who avoided goalkeeper James Pantemis — who had charged off his line — and rolled a shot from the edge of the penalty area inside the back post and into a wide-open net.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
5 Apr. 2026
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The Current’s still one of the most talented teams in the league, boasting such USWNT veterans as Cooper, Sentnor and LaBonta, along with women who’ve played for other countries — Lorena and midfielder Rocky Rodriguez (Costa Rica), for instance.—
PJ Green
April 5,
Kansas City Star,
5 Apr. 2026
Verb
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The process of getting back to ace form lingered through the first half of the Miami Marlins’ 2025 season.—
Jordan McPherson,
Miami Herald,
1 Apr. 2026
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Strong high atmospheric pressure, which typically doesn’t form with as much strength until late spring or early summer, lingered for a large part of the month, bringing lots of sunshine, consistently above-average temperatures and very little rainfall.—
Anthony Franze,
San Antonio Express-News,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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But he’s never rested on those past accomplishments, either.—
Sam McDowell,
Kansas City Star,
2 Apr. 2026
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After the state rested its case, prosecutors pointed to Emile Konig’s testimony as a critical piece of evidence supporting their narrative of what happened.—
Stepheny Price,
FOXNews.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Officer Rory lets Greg go, but the combination of the walk and thinking about his daughter’s predicament has bummed him out.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
30 Mar. 2026
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Rittenhouse admits to initially being bummed out to not be the murderer, only to quickly come around to preferring this outcome.—
Derek Lawrence,
HollywoodReporter,
12 Jan. 2026
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Cite this Entry
“Malingered.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malingered. Accessed 8 Apr. 2026.
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