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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The roar gave way to brooms scraping asphalt, trucks idling and fans comparing videos on their phones.
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Last week's sell-off was triggered on Wednesday by idling – though robust – revenue projections from chipmaker Broadcom and may have been exacerbated by a call from artificial intelligence startup Anthropic for the sector to slow down its pace of advancements .
Verb
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No one can match her depth and passion to get vengeance on Krem of the Yellow Hills for messing with her family — a sentiment Cancers understand.
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Marilyn, Nixon, the Kennedys, Bay of Pigs—we’ve seen Ellroy messing with this material long before the Quintet.
Verb
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Speaking on Harvard Business School’s The Founder Mindset podcast, hosted by senior lecturer and serial entrepreneur Reza Satchu, the Shark Tank investor argued that anyone trying to balance a young company against the rest of their life is fooling themselves.
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The other is fooling humans, particularly the dwindling number of journalists, critics, and other gatekeepers who are still capable of conferring legitimacy by paying attention.
Verb
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Spring cleaning bumming you out?
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That’s what was bumming him out.
Verb
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Ella Bruccoleri may be playing a Bennet sister on TV, but the actress wasn’t always a fan of Jane Austen.
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According to court documents, Zimmerman was playing golf at the hotel's course throughout the day with friends.
Verb
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But for a growing number of older people, those retirement years are arriving with lingering debt problems attached.
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Irving remains on the roster amid lingering questions about his future after missing all of last season.
Verb
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Supports everyday comfort for both resting and extended lounging sessions.
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But Judd won’t be the only artist at this concert who isn’t resting on their laurels.
Verb
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Martin removed his right fielder for loafing on a ball hit to the outfield.
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Kids who used to run to the field excited to play, suddenly started loafing to the field wearing their crocs with their heads buried in their phones.
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Cite this Entry
“Malingering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/malingering. Accessed 28 Jun. 2026.
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