tarrying 1 of 2

adjective

as in lingering

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tarrying

2 of 2

verb

present participle of tarry
1
as in waiting
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

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2
as in delaying
to move or act slowly the dean tarried in making his decision, still not sure if he should suspend the student or not

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3
as in staying
to reside as a temporary guest he tarried with us all summer, sleeping on the screened-in porch most nights

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for tarrying
  1. lingering
  2. waiting
  3. delaying
  4. staying
  5. loitering
  6. remaining
  7. dragging
  8. visiting
Adjective
  • Communities near the Canadian fires could see lingering impacts into the weekend as long as fires continue burning and winds keep transporting smoke south.
    — Brandi D. Addison, USA Today, 15 July 2026
  • Thomas missed 57 games last season, mostly because of the same lingering left hamstring issue.
    — C.J. Holmes, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2026
Definition of lingering
Verb
  • Do not let pasta sit in the sink waiting for the condimento to be ready or for your family and friends to sit down at the table or open a bottle of wine or feed the dog while your pasta sits, dying, in a colander.
    — Carolynn Carreño, Los Angeles Times, 16 July 2026
  • In years when the contract is due to be renewed, the waiting period can get tense as fears that the convention will leave San Diego often surface when organizers demand new concessions from hoteliers and the city.
    — Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 July 2026
Definition of waiting
Verb
  • Crabtree said in his order that the court shared the government’s concerns about delaying the proceedings.
    — Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 17 July 2026
  • Still, Goldman acknowledged that delaying an IVF procedure isn’t exactly an easy thing to do.
    — Cara Lynn Shultz, PEOPLE, 17 July 2026
Definition of delaying
Verb
  • Sheikh Hamad used gas revenue to give a set of actors who distrust one another a direct stake in Qatar staying open and useful.
    — Güney Yıldız, Forbes.com, 18 July 2026
  • So far, Antonelli seems to be staying focused, even as Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton threaten Mercedes' supremacy.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 17 July 2026
Definition of staying
Adjective
  • Some victim advocates say human trafficking along Figueroa has escalated since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the rollback of anti-loitering laws.
    — Brittny Mejia, Los Angeles Times, 1 July 2026
Definition of loitering
Verb
  • Telemachus and Eumaeus locked the remaining weapons upstairs.
    — Tanya Fedak, Variety, 18 July 2026
  • Colorado trio Prairiewolf operates in both these realms, creating limpid yet propulsive instrumental music that faces the stars while remaining focused on doings on the ground.
    — Reed Jackson, SPIN, 17 July 2026
Definition of remaining
Verb
  • The untethered AUVs hover above the seabed instead of dragging equipment across it, reducing sediment disturbance and limiting ecosystem disruption.
    — Jijo Malayil, Interesting Engineering, 15 July 2026
  • Centre-back Chadi Riad flicks the outswinging corner across goal, with his team-mates’ runs dragging Haiti’s defence forward.
    — Anantaajith Raghuraman, New York Times, 14 July 2026
Definition of dragging
Verb
  • Details about the funeral arrangements for Nolan Wells, the teen who was found dead on July 6 after visiting Horn Island, Mississippi, have been released.
    — Meagan Jordan, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2026
  • Next to the baggage claim, Pissenem’s chauffeurs held up iPhones for the visiting DJs who’d flown commercial.
    — Max Marshall, Vanity Fair, 15 July 2026
Definition of visiting
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.

Browse Nearby Words

tarry (in)
tarrying
tarrying (in)
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Cite this Entry

“Tarrying.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tarrying. Accessed 23 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on tarrying

Nglish: Translation of tarrying for Spanish Speakers

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