as in idling
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 malingering
Verb
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Later, the women were in a idling vehicle when Brown allegedly left his Jeep, walked toward them and fired at the car, court records show.—
Nate Gartrell,
Mercury News,
6 Jan. 2026 -
David McNew / Getty Images Marquez helped convert Pasadena's fire fleet to renewable diesel fuel so that his crews wouldn't keep breathing in the emissions from idling trucks.—
Kara Finnstrom,
CBS News,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The last two seasons have proven that the team starts off slow, which ends up messing their chances of making the playoffs.—
James Brizuela,
MSNBC Newsweek,
2 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Early reports indicate that kids are fooling the age-recognition software with sophisticated techniques such as drawing on facial hair and substituting celebrity photos for their own.—
Jay Caspian Kang,
New Yorker,
23 Dec. 2025
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Anyone who thinks that this is an issue that could have been solved by nominating a couple more Spider-Man movies is fooling themselves.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
19 Dec. 2025
Verb
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That’s what was bumming him out.—
Emily Longeretta,
Variety,
3 Sep. 2025
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To be this close over and over is really bumming me out.—
Maggie Fremont,
Vulture,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Still, investors now have to make the tricky balance between hedging against geopolitical risks and playing the AI theme.—
Yeo Boon Ping,
CNBC,
15 Jan. 2026
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Throughout her life, her doting mom has snapped some adorable pictures of her hanging out with cousins, showing love to her siblings or playing dress up and looking just like a mini-me.—
Andrea Wurzburger,
PEOPLE,
15 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Ultimately, however, the lingering impact of being dragged last summer is known only to the officer – who is said to be experienced, with more than 10 years of service as an ICE deportation officer, according to DHS.—
Mark Morales,
CNN Money,
10 Jan. 2026
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The lingering fear of Jerry's wrath?—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
9 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Scheierman’s only career start before Monday came in the final week of last season, when Boston was resting its top players to prepare for the playoffs.—
Zack Cox,
Boston Herald,
13 Jan. 2026
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During the journey, photos and videos are being shared online and show Aloka traveling along highways and sidewalks, resting during breaks and greeting supporters.—
Christina Shaw,
FOXNews.com,
13 Jan. 2026
Verb
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Within a few moments, an antlerless deer emerged, loafing along toward Ronnie, completely unalarmed.—
Jim Moore,
Outdoor Life,
8 Oct. 2025
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She is seen going over the shots planned for the next day and remembering that some loafing around is planned.—
Chris Willman,
Variety,
5 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Malingering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malingering. Accessed 17 Jan. 2026.
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