1
as in to delay
to move or act slowly
don't dillydally on the way to the store
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to lazy
to spend time doing nothing
restaurant employees who, during the slow periods, would rather be doing something instead of just dillydallying
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Recent Examples of dillydally
There was the tapping of the top of the bat to his toes, scribbling in the dirt, adjusting his gloves and swiping his shoulder, among other displays of dillydallying.
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Anna Brand, CNN, 30 Mar. 2023
Bathroom breaks and other excuses for dillydallying give your heart rate a chance to return to normal.
—Elizabeth Narins, Cosmopolitan, 22 May 2015
Anna Brand, CNN, 30 Mar. 2023
Bathroom breaks and other excuses for dillydallying give your heart rate a chance to return to normal.
—Elizabeth Narins, Cosmopolitan, 22 May 2015
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dillydally
Verb
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President-elect Donald Trump, who has vowed to shake things up after returning to office, may delay Artemis even further.George Petras, USA TODAY, 15 Dec. 2024
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The looming multi-billion-dollar budget shortfall in Annapolis strongly suggests that some elements of the Blueprint may have to be delayed and, presumably, that includes spending more on teacher pay.Baltimore Sun Editorial Board, Baltimore Sun, 15 Dec. 2024
Verb
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The finish is long and sweet, with lingering notes of vanilla, caramel, spice, and seasoned oak.Joseph V Micallef, Forbes, 11 Dec. 2024
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Fire activity around Pepperdine University’s Malibu campus has decreased, with only small flames remaining as firefighters tackle lingering hot spots, the school alerted at 9:58 p.m. Tuesday.Hanna Park, Robert Shackelford and Mary Gilbert, CNN, 11 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Slot’s focus on possession-dominance is not to say that his team dawdles on the ball.Charlie Eccleshare, The Athletic, 26 Apr. 2024
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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
Verb
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Cleavage forming, hormones erupting, hair poking through in what feels like strange places and wanting to dance on the peripherals of sexiness.Elizabeth Ayoola, Essence, 13 Dec. 2024
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This cute sweatshirt pokes fun at the sport’s quirky name with a watercolor print of two pickles playing pickleball.Cai Cramer, People.com, 13 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Usher, Coming Home This is Usher’s best album since 2004’s Confessions, and I’m bummed that more people haven’t listened to it.Mesfin Fekadu, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Dec. 2024
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A lot of environmentalists are bummed—even scared—about the results of the recent presidential election.Kristin Hostetter, Outside Online, 12 Dec. 2024
Verb
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Some sailors clung to mooring lines, crawling across to find safety.Frank Witsil, Detroit Free Press, 6 Dec. 2024
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The creature then rips her mouth open and crawls inside.EW Staff, EW.com, 5 Dec. 2024
Verb
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But planes have only just recently started moving along the assembly lines that were idled by the two-month work stoppage.Chris Isidore, CNN, 10 Dec. 2024
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Competing against the best of the National League is another matter, but idling just above .500 isn’t palatable to fans in one of the largest markets in the country.Jared Wyllys, Forbes, 25 Nov. 2024
Verb
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When the crime bosses checked in for their table assignments, they were arrested and dragged away so as not to tip off the next suspect.Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 13 Dec. 2024
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Wray said stepping down is the right thing to do for the FBI and will help avoid dragging it deeper into the fray, NPR's Ryan Lucas tells Up First.Brittney Melton, NPR, 12 Dec. 2024
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Cite this Entry
“Dillydally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dillydally. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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