1
as in to wait
to continue to be in a place for a significant amount of time
upon seeing the sun beginning to sink in the sky, we realized we had tarried too long on the summit of the mountain
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to linger
to move or act slowly
the dean tarried in making his decision, still not sure if he should suspend the student or not
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to stay
to reside as a temporary guest
he tarried with us all summer, sleeping on the screened-in porch most nights
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 tarry
Esther Mobley, SFChronicle.com, 1 Sep. 2020
Ingestion of sago palm leaves, seeds or other plant parts causes liver failure, usually signaled by drooling, vomiting, diarrhea or a tarry black stool, depression, appetite loss, abdominal pain, lethargy and jaundice.
—Kim Campbell Thornton, sacbee, 14 Mar. 2018
Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 12 June 2025
Read More: 10 New Year's Traditions From Across the Globe
There was still much reason to pray after Jan. 1, 1863, and so tarrying in prayer on New Year’s Eve became an annual tradition.
—Nyya Toussaint / Made By History, TIME, 31 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for tarry
Noun
Often, Petite Sirah produces a wine that is too tarry, too dense, too chewy.
—Esther Mobley, SFChronicle.com, 1 Sep. 2020
Ingestion of sago palm leaves, seeds or other plant parts causes liver failure, usually signaled by drooling, vomiting, diarrhea or a tarry black stool, depression, appetite loss, abdominal pain, lethargy and jaundice.
—Kim Campbell Thornton, sacbee, 14 Mar. 2018
Adjective
America grew up with these boys and tarried with them through light and dark times.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 12 June 2025
Read More: 10 New Year's Traditions From Across the Globe
There was still much reason to pray after Jan. 1, 1863, and so tarrying in prayer on New Year’s Eve became an annual tradition.
—Nyya Toussaint / Made By History, TIME, 31 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for tarry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tarry
Noun
-
An Idaho resident got a surprise visit from an apex predator who appeared eager to come inside his home and say hello.—
Jack Beresford,
MSNBC Newsweek,
13 Aug. 2025
-
Around her visit to the U.K., Eilish’s entire catalog surged on the charts in that country.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Antarctica has been forming for over 35 million years, so your inbox can wait.—
Sarah Groen,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Aug. 2025
-
Taylor would often wait for Jarvaise after class to talk about his work.—
Tom Teicholz,
Forbes.com,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Debt from a 2018 restructuring lingered and mall traffic, especially in secondary locations, continued to decline.—
Kate Hardcastle,
Forbes.com,
14 Aug. 2025
-
Even as Andrew James McGann sits in jail accused of the ghastly double murder of parents on a hike at a state park in the Ozark Mountains, key questions linger about the motive.—
Alisha Ebrahimji,
CNN Money,
14 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
To stay at Casa Carolina is also to support the hotel's commitment to sustainability, woven through the fabric of its operations in big ways and small.—
Carley Rojas Ávila,
Forbes.com,
15 Aug. 2025
-
Former Angels' superstar Shohei Ohtani will take the mound for his new Los Angeles club as the Dodgers fight to stay at the top of the NL West standings.—
Ben Verbrugge,
MSNBC Newsweek,
14 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
As water evaporated, the juice was ladled from vat to vat, progressively reducing until a thick, viscous syrup remained.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
29 July 2025
-
Soko’s innovative Hydrogel technology, used for denim finishing, transforms water into a highly viscous state, enveloping fabrics and protecting them from aggressive agents while reducing water consumption by up to 10 times compared to traditional methods.—
Andrea Onate,
Footwear News,
1 July 2025
Verb
-
Kenwood’s program will remain the same, but Western’s will change to a Building Construction Management magnet, which will expose students to different areas of construction trades, such as HVAC, electrical, plumbing and carpentry.—
Racquel Bazos,
Baltimore Sun,
13 Aug. 2025
-
The love remained even as Alonso tested free agency for the first time last winter.—
Abbey Mastracco,
New York Daily News,
13 Aug. 2025
Verb
-
Thunderstorms delayed Thursday's opening round, softening the greens and testing the pros.—
Devlina Sarkar,
MSNBC Newsweek,
18 Aug. 2025
-
Financial Narrative Control: In one case that stood out, a retailer’s communications team, reporting to the CFO, delayed announcing a new technology partnership for a year to better align with the company's financial narrative.—
Kiri Masters,
Forbes.com,
18 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Soon after, a survey found a new gelatinous ball of fresh eggs near the microphone that recorded it.—
Nathan Rott,
NPR,
19 July 2025
-
Pineapple chunks, maraschino, and coconut are suspended in a slightly gelatinous, condensed milk filling.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
4 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Tarry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tarry. Accessed 23 Aug. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share