dangled; dangling
ˈdaŋ-g(ə-)liŋ 
1
: to hang loosely and usually so as to be able to swing freely
2
: to be a hanger-on or a dependent
3
: to occur in a sentence without having a normally expected syntactic relation to the rest of the sentence (such as climbing in "Climbing the mountain the cabin came into view")
a dangling participle
a dangling modifier
1
: to cause to dangle : swing
dangled her feet in the water
2
a
: to keep hanging uncertainly
b
: to hold out as an inducement
Synonyms
Examples of dangle in a Sentence
Verb
Let your arms dangle at your sides.
She sat on the edge of the pool, dangling her feet in the water.
He dangled a piece of string in front of the cat.
The money she dangled in front of him wasn't enough to convince him to sell.
They refused to accept the money that was dangled before their eyes.
Recent Examples on the Web
Paul Taylor, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
That’s a tall order for a season that encompasses an alien life form taking over David Schwimmer’s veins to that dangling eyeball to a group of quadruped aliens.
—Mark Peikert, IndieWire, 15 Jan. 2025
Charna Flam, People.com, 4 Jan. 2025
The dress is thin and flimsy and appears to be incomplete: the ends of the straps dangle in the back instead of being secured on the inside of the bodice.
—Mia Sato, The Verge, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dangle 
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.
Verb
When Luis Diaz had previously run at Murillo one-on-one, the Brazilian bided his time before dangling out a leg to snatch the ball with precision timing.
—Paul Taylor, The Athletic, 15 Jan. 2025
That’s a tall order for a season that encompasses an alien life form taking over David Schwimmer’s veins to that dangling eyeball to a group of quadruped aliens.
—Mark Peikert, IndieWire, 15 Jan. 2025
Noun
The Tony winner chose pearl jewelry for her accessories, including dangle drop earrings and silver and pearl rings.
—Charna Flam, People.com, 4 Jan. 2025
The dress is thin and flimsy and appears to be incomplete: the ends of the straps dangle in the back instead of being secured on the inside of the bodice.
—Mia Sato, The Verge, 19 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for dangle
Articles Related to dangle
Dictionary Entries Near dangle
Cite this Entry
“Dangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dangle. Accessed 20 Jan. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share