1
as in to delay
to move or act slowly
if you continue to dawdle, we'll be late for sure
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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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dawdle
Ukrainian officials dawdled on implementing U.S.-proposed reforms to increase civilian control of the military, expand professional military education, and clean up the corrupt defense procurement system.
—
Polina Beliakova, Foreign Affairs, 17 Mar. 2023
His fingers dawdled over my remedies, but his gaze was locked on my face.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 14 Aug. 2024
Outside Parliament, a small cluster of policemen were dawdling on the sidewalk.
—Nadia Beard, The New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2024
Despite these results, however, some Western critics argued that the deal afforded Russia an illegitimate role in deciding its victim’s future and allowed the EU to dawdle on toughening sanctions.
—Elizabeth Pond, Foreign Affairs, 1 Mar. 2015
See All Example Sentences for dawdle
Polina Beliakova, Foreign Affairs, 17 Mar. 2023
His fingers dawdled over my remedies, but his gaze was locked on my face.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 14 Aug. 2024
Outside Parliament, a small cluster of policemen were dawdling on the sidewalk.
—Nadia Beard, The New Yorker, 7 Aug. 2024
Despite these results, however, some Western critics argued that the deal afforded Russia an illegitimate role in deciding its victim’s future and allowed the EU to dawdle on toughening sanctions.
—Elizabeth Pond, Foreign Affairs, 1 Mar. 2015
See All Example Sentences for dawdle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dawdle
Verb
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The opening of the jail had been delayed, the red carpet stored away, the prisoners' transfers into this facility put on hold.—
Keith Sharon,
USA TODAY,
20 Feb. 2025
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Additionally, decisions on pending petitions to expand coverage to autoimmune and cardiac conditions will be delayed and there will be fewer people to intervene when there are problems with prescriptions and treatment, according to Chevat.—
Aaron Katersky,
ABC News,
19 Feb. 2025
Verb
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That reactor is now enveloped by a protective shelter to contain the lingering radiation.—
Max Hunder and Anastasiia Malenko,
USA TODAY,
15 Feb. 2025
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There are lingering memories of past layoffs: more than 1,000 jobs in Huntsville were lost when Constellation, a program to return astronauts to the moon, was shut down in 2010.—
Eduardo Medina,
New York Times,
15 Feb. 2025
Verb
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While much of Europe shivers in the winter, Asturias enjoys mild weather, with locals strolling along beaches in winter without jackets.—
Jenn Rice,
Vogue,
12 Feb. 2025
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But Twain liked to be able to stroll to downtown Hartford.—
Christopher Arnott,
Hartford Courant,
9 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The victim suffered serious injuries but managed to crawl out of the woods and get help from a passerby, according to court records.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
14 Feb. 2025
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If you're downed during a boss fight, teammates must revive you by whacking your crawling body.—
Dan Perry,
Newsweek,
13 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Yet even with the credits, demand for Ford's F-150 Lightning electric pickup has faltered, leading Ford to idle the truck's production through the year-end.—
Jarrett Renshaw,
Detroit Free Press,
15 Nov. 2024
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The vehicles also worsen traffic on Lima’s major thoroughfares, increasing idling by cars and trucks, which are rarely electric.—
Maria Gioia,
The Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Swansea City have sacked head coach Luke Williams following a poor run of results since the turn of the year that has dragged the Championship club into a relegation battle.—
Stuart James,
The Athletic,
17 Feb. 2025
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When users click and drag their cursor across the screen, random clusters of letters appear, followed by sentences that flash briefly before disappearing.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
17 Feb. 2025
Verb
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Without his glasses, Bear even mistakes Giraffe, lazing in a long, almost fully reclined deck chair, for a snake.—
Barney Saltzberg,
New York Times,
14 Feb. 2025
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And boredom, for a team that occasionally stumbles through late-game offense and lazes its way into too many 3s, can be a killer.—
Andrew Callahan,
Boston Herald,
15 Mar. 2024
Verb
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The Doctor Who star poked fun at Trump during his remarks, earning loud applause from an audience packed with Hollywood stars.—
Jake Kanter,
Deadline,
16 Feb. 2025
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First, Murray poked fun at how there has only been one Black anchor of the segment: Michael Che, who has had the role alongside Jost since 2014.—
William Vaillancourt,
Rolling Stone,
16 Feb. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dawdle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dawdle. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
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