1
as in to play
to engage in activity for amusement
he spent his college years dallying, seemingly determined to acquire as little knowledge as possible
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2
as in to linger
to move or act slowly
don't dally on the way to the interview
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3
as in to flirt
to show a sexual attraction for someone just for fun
she spent the summer dallying with a guy renting the neighboring beach house
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4
as in to lazy
to spend time doing nothing
I kept dallying at my desk until I couldn't put off doing my work any longer
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dally
As is so often the case for Hong, his latest is a gentle, hypnotically watchable film that breezes by as Iris does herself, dallying around Seoul in a loose summer dress and her striking bright-green cardigan.
—
David Opie, IndieWire, 21 Nov. 2024
This is no time for the dilly-dallying dog days of August.
—Tim Britton, The Athletic, 15 Aug. 2024
The Dodgers were dallying in Scott's trade market before he was sent to the San Diego Padres along with reliever Bryan Hoeing for four minor league players.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 19 Jan. 2025
With the ball loose in midfield, Southampton’s Flynn Downes dallied on the halfway line, stuck in two minds over whether to push to win possession or retreat into his own half.
—Elias Burke, The Athletic, 23 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dally
David Opie, IndieWire, 21 Nov. 2024
This is no time for the dilly-dallying dog days of August.
—Tim Britton, The Athletic, 15 Aug. 2024
The Dodgers were dallying in Scott's trade market before he was sent to the San Diego Padres along with reliever Bryan Hoeing for four minor league players.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 19 Jan. 2025
With the ball loose in midfield, Southampton’s Flynn Downes dallied on the halfway line, stuck in two minds over whether to push to win possession or retreat into his own half.
—Elias Burke, The Athletic, 23 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dally
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dally
Verb
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Vick had a career-high 540 yards rushing in 1988 and played only four NFL seasons.—
Jim Reineking,
USA Today,
22 Apr. 2025
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Getty Images As for street style, the outfit inspo there proves that Autry sneakers play nicely with spring’s transitional weather.—
Lina-Marie Baatz,
Glamour,
21 Apr. 2025
Verb
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And though a few dozen people left the dinner early to catch the end or start of various performances, which included Charli XCX and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, about half of the long table lingered after dessert to continue chatting with their tablemates.—
Ye Fan,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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Still, memories of the show lingered in a few significant minds: both Stephen Sondheim and Fred Ebb felt its influence.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Long story short: This is the tale of the rise and fall of the Sith's massive criminal syndicate away from the Empire's prying eyes, so expect more of the surprisingly dark tone past shows have often flirted with.—
Fran Ruiz,
Space.com,
18 Apr. 2025
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Ultimately, while Musk has occasionally flirted with cannabis culture and reform rhetoric, his actions suggest a cautious approach rather than outright support for federal legalization or policy changes.—
Tribune Content Agency,
Mercury News,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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There's also great uncertainty as Trump seeks negotiations with China and begins talks with other counties whose larger tariffs were delayed by 90 days.—
Christopher Cann,
USA Today,
21 Apr. 2025
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Research suggests that females who have autism are more likely to use this strategy, which can lead to a mismatch between the internal experience and the external behavior—and may play a role in delaying diagnosis.1 4.—
Heidi Moawad, MD,
Verywell Health,
18 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Players dawdled on the ball in key moments, hesitant to make mistakes.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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Skelly secured the Obama Administration’s commitment to buy his energy, but in the course of a decade the project slowly collapsed, as state powers dawdled and eventually refused to issue the necessary permits.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
The New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
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The longer the trade war drags on, the more likely Washington and Beijing will find other ways to retaliate beyond economics.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 Apr. 2025
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Paleontologists used to wonder if some marine reptiles did the same, awkwardly dragging themselves onto beaches to lay eggs rather than birthing their young at sea like whales do.—
Riley Black,
Smithsonian Magazine,
17 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The horrific crimes came to light after an MTA train conductor found the dead man, believed to be in his 40s, facedown on the floor of an idling R train at the Whitehall St. subway stop in lower Manhattan about 12:30 a.m.—
Thomas Tracy,
New York Daily News,
15 Apr. 2025
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The plans for the idling come weeks after a Detroit Free Press report said hundreds of BrightDrop vehicles were lining a storage lot in Flint, Michigan.—
Michael Wayland,
CNBC,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Simply fill the moat with water to keep unwanted pests from crawling down to the nectar ports.—
Caley Sturgill,
Southern Living,
12 Apr. 2025
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And setting your baby down on the ground to crawl around isn’t the cleanest option.—
BestReviews,
Mercury News,
11 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dally. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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