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slacking 1 of 2

noun

as in loafing

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slacking

2 of 2

verb

present participle of slack
as in loosening
to make less taut the skipper ordered the crew to slack off the sheets on the mainsail

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of slacking
Verb
It gets filed alongside carelessness, disorganization and not really trying, and the people who display it often apologize for it as though they’d been caught slacking. — Mark Travers, Forbes.com, 7 Aug. 2026 But your employee isn’t slacking, Kagan said. — Jessica Guynn, USA Today, 14 June 2026 Redneck points out that it's heightened the XL's front wall by 11 inches (28 cm) as compared to older Freedom models, slacking up the angle of the roof to adjust for it. — New Atlas, 13 Apr. 2026 Not that the segment was slacking—far from it. — Michael Verdon, Robb Report, 14 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for slacking
  1. loafing
  2. loosening
  3. lounging
  4. slackening
  5. idling
  6. legal holiday
  7. rest
Noun
  • The researchers concluded that at least one of the keys to preventing social loafing is restoring individual responsibility within a group.
    — Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez, Fortune, 6 Apr. 2026
Definition of loafing
Verb
  • Perhaps, with opinion polls signaling a seismic snap in the other direction and economic conditions on the Great Plains so dismal, the Republican hold on rural America is loosening.
    — Kyle Paoletta, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
  • These parties’ platforms vary, but both point toward repatriating competences to national governments, weakening European Court of Justice jurisdiction, and loosening the common rules that make EU commitments credible to outside partners.
    — JONAS NAHM, Foreign Affairs, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of loosening
Noun
  • There’s plenty of intimate bars and lounges, and outdoor space - not just for viewing wildlife or lounging, but also for swimming in an infinity pool or soaking in one of four hot tubs (two by the cool outdoor Sky Bar).
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 9 Sep. 2026
  • Featuring various zones of native vegetation alongside bougainvillea and jacarandas, the park is dotted with generous public seating and has an amphitheater for outdoor events or general lounging.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 8 Sep. 2026
Definition of lounging
Verb
  • Still further downstream the channel broadens out, and the slackening current has deposited débris and deadheads galore.
    — HARRY H. EDEL, Outdoor Life, 19 Aug. 2026
  • Another factor was the slackening appeal of industrial companies, which had long absorbed the greatest number of young graduates.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 15 May 2026
Definition of slackening
Noun
  • There is no penalty associated with unattended idling in state statute, however, individual municipalities have ordinances in place with fines for the action.
    — Anna Kleiber, jsonline.com, 18 Nov. 2025
Definition of idling
Noun
  • In 1894, President Cleveland signed a congressional act establishing the first Monday of September as a legal holiday, which has become known for promotional sales as well as a day off for many.
    — Howard Blume, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2026
  • Then-President Grover Cleveland signed the act making Labor Day an official federal legal holiday on June 28, 1894.
    — Jennie Key, Cincinnati Enquirer, 4 Sep. 2026
Definition of legal holiday
Noun
  • Keep countertops clean while cooking with this playful ceramic spoon rest.
    — Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 29 Sep. 2026
  • For example, an airline could see, hours in advance, that a developing weather system will breach crew rest limits on three routes, create a maintenance conflict at a hub and leave a cargo commitment undeliverable.
    — Abha Dogra, Forbes.com, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of rest

Browse Nearby Words

slackers
slacking
slacking (off)
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Slacking.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/slacking. Accessed 30 Sep. 2026.

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