as in to delay
to be slow or late about doing something that should be done; to delay doing something until a later time because you do not want to do it, because you are lazy, etc.
He procrastinated and missed the submission deadline. He told her to stop procrastinating and get to work.
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Recent Examples of procrastinate
Laura Levine/Corbis, via Getty Images Ten creative minds on how to start, pivot and productively procrastinate.
—
Kate Guadagnino, New York Times, 21 Nov. 2024
Nearly 33% of Americans procrastinate filing their taxes, according to a survey from real estate company IPX1031, which polled roughly 1,000 U.S. residents in January.
—Kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea, CNBC, 21 Feb. 2025
People procrastinate, and couples usually have to call, text, or email right before the cutoff date.
—Alice Gibbs, Newsweek, 20 Feb. 2025
Some Americans may be ahead of the game, having filed their returns already with the Internal Revenue Service, while many others may be looking to procrastinate it as long as possible.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for procrastinate
Kate Guadagnino, New York Times, 21 Nov. 2024
Nearly 33% of Americans procrastinate filing their taxes, according to a survey from real estate company IPX1031, which polled roughly 1,000 U.S. residents in January.
—Kate Dore, Cfp®, Ea, CNBC, 21 Feb. 2025
People procrastinate, and couples usually have to call, text, or email right before the cutoff date.
—Alice Gibbs, Newsweek, 20 Feb. 2025
Some Americans may be ahead of the game, having filed their returns already with the Internal Revenue Service, while many others may be looking to procrastinate it as long as possible.
—Eric Lagatta, USA TODAY, 24 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for procrastinate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for procrastinate
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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The framework of the mineral deal had stalled in February following a contentious Oval Office meeting between Trump, Vance and Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky.—
Angela Charlton and Hanna Arhirova,
Los Angeles Times,
18 Apr. 2025
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The talks come amid growing concern about Trump's approach to Russia and stalled U.S. efforts to negotiate a ceasefire.—
Hannah Parry,
MSNBC Newsweek,
17 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
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
Cite this Entry
“Procrastinate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/procrastinate. Accessed 24 Apr. 2025.
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