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
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
Jordan Novet, CNBC, 20 June 2025
The Note Pin can dangle from a necklace, or go around your wrist.
—Emily Forlini, PC Magazine, 18 June 2025
Sophie Levenson, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2025
Her feet dangle, then land with a thud on the delicate rug hugging the side of her bed.
—Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 6 June 2025
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
David Paul Morris | Bloomberg | Getty Images OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said on a podcast this week that Meta has dangled $100 million signing bonuses in front of the startup’s employees, but that his company’s best people have opted to stay.
—Jordan Novet, CNBC, 20 June 2025
The Note Pin can dangle from a necklace, or go around your wrist.
—Emily Forlini, PC Magazine, 18 June 2025
Noun
Rainbow pillows perch on a long pink booth and two faux crystal chandeliers dangle over a black and white checkered floor, the base of a spacious dining area that compelled chef and owner Jenni Vee to upgrade to this location from her beloved original storefront nearly a year ago.
—Sophie Levenson, Chicago Tribune, 17 June 2025
Her feet dangle, then land with a thud on the delicate rug hugging the side of her bed.
—Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 6 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for dangle
Cite this Entry
“Dangle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dangle. Accessed 25 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share