1
as in to delay
to move or act slowly
if you continue to dawdle, we'll be late for sure
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to lazy
to spend time doing nothing
accused the city council of dawdling even as the crime rate was spiraling out of control
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
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Recent Examples of dawdle
Some of this feels more like dawdling: What's the point of Stick's cynical old buddy (Marc Maron) getting trapped under a fold-out bed?
—
Tom Gliatto, People.com, 4 June 2025
According to PitchBook, venture capital deals dawdled in 2024—fewer funding deals took place, but those that did tended to have higher valuations.
—Zoya Hasan, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Players dawdled on the ball in key moments, hesitant to make mistakes.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Past Republican presidents were content to dawdle on tax cuts and entitlement reform, but Trump, understanding that the values of America are communicated through its art and entertainment, has instead sought to impose his fairly common and generally decent tastes on popular culture.
—Peter Tonguette, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dawdle
Tom Gliatto, People.com, 4 June 2025
According to PitchBook, venture capital deals dawdled in 2024—fewer funding deals took place, but those that did tended to have higher valuations.
—Zoya Hasan, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Players dawdled on the ball in key moments, hesitant to make mistakes.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Past Republican presidents were content to dawdle on tax cuts and entitlement reform, but Trump, understanding that the values of America are communicated through its art and entertainment, has instead sought to impose his fairly common and generally decent tastes on popular culture.
—Peter Tonguette, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dawdle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dawdle
Verb
-
After lightning delayed kickoff for an hour, Colleyville Heritage (1-1) fell behind quickly in a back-and-forth game.—
Jordan Neal,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
6 Sep. 2025
-
In the last few years, Beyoncé, Pink, and Noah Kahan, among others, have had concerts canceled or delayed by extreme lightning, rain, or wildfire smoke.—
David Browne,
Rolling Stone,
6 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Yet with so many worries lingering, even after Shi’s attempt to reassure them, confidence is as low as at any time in his nine years at the helm.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
5 Sep. 2025
-
The tension lingers throughout the meal, leaving the family divided.—
Ashley Vega,
PEOPLE,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Then, as evening falls, stroll along the canals or watch the sun melt into Øresund’s horizon—tracing wind turbines spinning in silhouette.—
Lewis Nunn,
Forbes.com,
3 Sep. 2025
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Tight, achy shins can mess with your exercise routine…and whatever else is on your agenda, like strolling with your pup or climbing stairs.—
Jenny McCoy,
SELF,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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On Wednesday, a similar scene closely followed as the funeral procession for Kansas City, Kansas, police officer Hunter Simoncic crawled along through the highways and streets in the community Simoncic worked to keep safe.—
Emily Curiel,
Kansas City Star,
3 Sep. 2025
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Eby crawled across a ladder over the water to the vehicle, then crawled back with the child on his back, the video shows.—
Don Sweeney,
Sacbee.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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But now, several hundred workers who were out over the water, working to get it up and running, have been idled.—
Brittney Melton,
NPR,
1 Sep. 2025
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On the runway, planes sat with engines idling, ground crews making final preparations as if departures could come at any moment — all as the courtroom battle played out hundreds of miles away in Washington.—
Valerie Gonzalez,
Chicago Tribune,
31 Aug. 2025
Verb
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The cousin tried to drag Guzman away, and saw the shooter walk back inside the house.—
Jeanine Santucci,
USA Today,
4 Sep. 2025
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Mitchell was then dragged outside to the valet area, and a female Hyatt employee grabbed a broomstick and struck Mitchell with it.—
Chris Ramirez,
jsonline.com,
3 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Located on the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, Los Cabos is a great destination to laze about beachside or go on a deep-sea excursion.—
Essence,
Essence,
25 Aug. 2025
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And poor, engine‑damaging quality or not, the ersatz aviation fuel had to work only once to get a kamikaze plane up and away to hit one of the enemy warships now lazing about in the offing around the Home Islands, often close enough to be spotted from shore with the naked eye.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
7 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Notably, @TCUFootball did not poke fun at Belichick’s relationship with his 24-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson.—
Sean Gregory,
Time,
3 Sep. 2025
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There was a valley of veins moving over his hands, blue rivers poking underneath his hairless arms.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
2 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dawdle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dawdle. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.
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