1
as in reveling
to completely give (oneself) over to something (such as an emotion)
After being laid off, he spent much of his time wallowing in self-pity. They wallowed in all the indulgences provided by the resort.
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2
as in shuffling
to roll around in an ungainly manner
We saw a herd of cattle wallowing in the marsh.
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Recent Examples of wallowing
Reveling or wallowing in either part of the game only slows the process.
—
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
But no, Tommy will not be moved, wallowing in grief for his young daughter and tormented by the death of his brother Arthur, ostensibly a suicide.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2026
Restoring Notre Dame to greatness Before Holtz arrived in South Bend, Notre Dame was wallowing in mediocrity — a mere shell of the program built on a foundation of Knute Rockne, Ara Parseghian, the Golden Dome and Touchdown Jesus.
—Eric Olson, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
In a broader sense, your relationships can also keep you from wallowing in your struggles.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 19 Feb. 2026
Instead of wallowing in frustration, Burks took things into his own hands, tying a career-high with 23 points in helping the Knights to an 82-71 win over visiting TCU on Tuesday night.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Feb. 2026
Now, Daphne is living with Petra’s ex Miles, both wallowing in their own breakup hell.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
The Bucks, meanwhile, are wallowing with the seventh-worst record in the NBA.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
Think of reliving moments at the Plaza Sundae from Home Alone 2 or wallowing in Churchill-era glamour at London’s Savoy Hotel.
—Alex Ledsom, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 11 Mar. 2026
But no, Tommy will not be moved, wallowing in grief for his young daughter and tormented by the death of his brother Arthur, ostensibly a suicide.
—Damon Wise, Deadline, 5 Mar. 2026
Restoring Notre Dame to greatness Before Holtz arrived in South Bend, Notre Dame was wallowing in mediocrity — a mere shell of the program built on a foundation of Knute Rockne, Ara Parseghian, the Golden Dome and Touchdown Jesus.
—Eric Olson, Los Angeles Times, 4 Mar. 2026
In a broader sense, your relationships can also keep you from wallowing in your struggles.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 19 Feb. 2026
Instead of wallowing in frustration, Burks took things into his own hands, tying a career-high with 23 points in helping the Knights to an 82-71 win over visiting TCU on Tuesday night.
—Matt Murschel, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Feb. 2026
Now, Daphne is living with Petra’s ex Miles, both wallowing in their own breakup hell.
—Literary Hub, 13 Feb. 2026
The Bucks, meanwhile, are wallowing with the seventh-worst record in the NBA.
—Dieter Kurtenbach, Mercury News, 31 Jan. 2026
Think of reliving moments at the Plaza Sundae from Home Alone 2 or wallowing in Churchill-era glamour at London’s Savoy Hotel.
—Alex Ledsom, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for wallowing
Verb
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The Green Bay Packers are doing some shuffling at cornerback by adding Benjamin St-Juste while informing Nate Hobbs of a plan to release him a year after signing him to the $48 million, four-year contract, according to two people with knowledge of the decisions.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Mar. 2026
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One of the early schools to change leagues in the NCAA's conference shuffling era, Boston College left the Big East for the ACC in 2005 but has struggled to find success in its revenue sports.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
8 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The elder Junod gave off mixed messages, abusing his long-suffering wife while indulging his gifted son.—
Hamilton Cain,
Time,
3 Mar. 2026
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There’s a conversation for Nebraska worth indulging this spring.—
Mitch Sherman,
New York Times,
26 Feb. 2026
Verb
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Deputies said Thorpe had bloodshot eyes, was swaying and unsteady, and had a fruity odor on her breath, according to the report.—
Michael Sinkewicz,
FOXNews.com,
11 Mar. 2026
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From hiking and biking to navigating swaying cruise ships and 500-acre theme parks, shoppers have put these comfy, supportive sandals to the test.—
Olivia Young,
Travel + Leisure,
5 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Frankenstein ends with the Creature walking alone towards a rising sun, pulling back its hood and basking in the light.—
Randall Colburn,
Entertainment Weekly,
12 Mar. 2026
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Meanwhile, some people are just basking in the meme moment.—
Melina Khan,
USA Today,
10 Mar. 2026
Verb
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No workers for mundane tasks Diez revealed that manufacturers worldwide are struggling to find laborers for highly repetitive physical tasks.—
Atharva Gosavi,
Interesting Engineering,
9 Mar. 2026
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Dogs generally aren’t allowed on cruises, but after struggling to find a flight that would allow pets in the cabin, Morris decided to bring Monty across the pond in the storied ocean liner’s kennels – one of the only ways cruise travelers' furry friends can sail the high seas.—
Nathan Diller,
USA Today,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Wallowing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/wallowing. Accessed 15 Mar. 2026.
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