as in to delay
to move or act slowly
since they were charging by the hour, the house painters lingered in finishing up their work
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of linger
Maybe things didn’t go as planned or maybe there’s no clear reason at all, just a lingering unsettling feeling.
—
Barton Goldsmith, AJC.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Rooms are generous in size and designed for lingering and lounging.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
While some rain lingers overnight into the pre-sunrise hours on Saturday, things will dry out just in time for the weekend.
—Michael Autovino, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
So while nothing may happen right away, the exposure can create risk that lingers.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for linger
Barton Goldsmith, AJC.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Rooms are generous in size and designed for lingering and lounging.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
While some rain lingers overnight into the pre-sunrise hours on Saturday, things will dry out just in time for the weekend.
—Michael Autovino, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
So while nothing may happen right away, the exposure can create risk that lingers.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for linger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for linger
Verb
-
The fight, though, kept getting delayed.—
Chang-rae Lee,
New Yorker,
3 May 2026
-
Plans were reportedly delayed after Kate’s cancer diagnosis in 2024, but with her now in remission and feeling better, a tour is once again on the table.—
Allison DeGrushe,
StyleCaster,
2 May 2026
Verb
-
The Carboniferous period dragged on for sixty million.—
Anthony Lane,
New Yorker,
8 May 2026
-
Perhaps the aether did exist, but it could never be construed as being in motion by an observer on the Earth, because the aether itself was being dragged by objects traveling through space, such as the Earth, explaining why a null result was obtained.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
7 May 2026
Verb
-
After losing her friend Yo, Anna spends a decade obsessively building a detailed one-third-scale replica of her house — just large enough to crawl inside — where a puppet version of Yo still lives.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
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Ahmed Moustafa, who operates a halal cart near Yankee Stadium, is still crawling out from the pandemic.—
Yuna Kim,
New York Daily News,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
When Andrei Vasilevskiy tried to poke the puck away, Bolduc had moved so deep into the crease area that the puck went off him and into the net for his first career playoff goal.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
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The host also poked fun at the Trumps’ living separately despite being married for 22 years.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Daisy doesn’t have to spend too much time loitering in downtown Toronto before Gilead makes its move.—
Amanda Whiting,
Vulture,
6 May 2026
-
Other executives, coaches and support staff loitered in the hall, speaking in hushed tones if at all.—
Bennett Durando,
Denver Post,
1 May 2026
Verb
-
Ritsurin was built 400 years ago as a daimyo garden for feudal lords to stroll in.—
Lale Arikoglu,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 May 2026
-
Spend the next few hours strolling around the Davidson College campus, shopping for a new read at Main Street Books or a charming memento at Honeysuckle Home, and having a leisurely lunch at The Pickled Peach.—
Lydia Mansel,
Southern Living,
1 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Linger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/linger. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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