1
as in blocking
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2
as in procrastinating
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Dissimilar Words
1
as in halting
to bring (something) to a standstill
endless complaints stalled the process of selecting the winning design for the memorial
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dying
to stop functioning
the engine stalls sometimes when it's very cold outside
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Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of stalling
Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows promised swift action and vowed to brook no more stalling tactics from Democrats.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2025
Britta Miller, The Washington Examiner, 1 Apr. 2026
Checkpoints dotted the highway and at one point, his paperwork was rejected, stalling his progress.
—Salma Arafa, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2026
Hydrogen fuel leaks delayed the SLS debut in 2022 and struck again during a countdown test in February, stalling Artemis II.
—Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Iran has targeted vessels trying to make a crossing in retaliation, effectively stalling marine traffic.
—Charlene Gubash, NBC news, 30 Mar. 2026
Without a clear structure in place, first-time business owners often shift their attention between tasks, losing momentum and stalling their progress.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
While 88% of companies report regular AI use, according to McKinsey, adoption may be stalling as a result of employees’ anxiety around the technology displacing them from their jobs.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
Hydrogen fuel leaks delayed the SLS debut in 2022 and struck again during a countdown test in February, stalling Artemis II.
—Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
For their part, House Republicans didn’t want the governor to be able to hand-pick the inspector general and objected to the changes in Norris’s bill and accused DFLers of stalling on fraud.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 26 Mar. 2026
Adjective
The tense talks continued into a second day but concluded without progress, in a diplomatic effort that seemed little more than another stalling game for Putin.
—Elizabeth Shackelford, Chicago Tribune, 20 Feb. 2026
Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows promised swift action and vowed to brook no more stalling tactics from Democrats.
—Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2025
Verb
Congress is currently on recess until April 13, stalling further action to reopen the government.
—Britta Miller, The Washington Examiner, 1 Apr. 2026
Checkpoints dotted the highway and at one point, his paperwork was rejected, stalling his progress.
—Salma Arafa, CNN Money, 1 Apr. 2026
Hydrogen fuel leaks delayed the SLS debut in 2022 and struck again during a countdown test in February, stalling Artemis II.
—Marcia Dunn, Los Angeles Times, 30 Mar. 2026
Iran has targeted vessels trying to make a crossing in retaliation, effectively stalling marine traffic.
—Charlene Gubash, NBC news, 30 Mar. 2026
Without a clear structure in place, first-time business owners often shift their attention between tasks, losing momentum and stalling their progress.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 30 Mar. 2026
While 88% of companies report regular AI use, according to McKinsey, adoption may be stalling as a result of employees’ anxiety around the technology displacing them from their jobs.
—Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 29 Mar. 2026
Hydrogen fuel leaks delayed the SLS debut in 2022 and struck again during a countdown test in February, stalling Artemis II.
—Marcia Dunn, Chicago Tribune, 29 Mar. 2026
For their part, House Republicans didn’t want the governor to be able to hand-pick the inspector general and objected to the changes in Norris’s bill and accused DFLers of stalling on fraud.
—Alex Derosier, Twin Cities, 26 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stalling
Adjective
-
The winner was the player who avoided being blocked the longest — a blocking game, a category of strategy game where the objective centers on restricting your opponent’s movement.—
Hanna Wickes,
Kansas City Star,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Nasa Worldview | Via Reuters The maritime passage has been almost completely shut by Iran since the war began in late February, effectively halting the shipping of Gulf oil and gas through the strait.—
Holly Ellyatt,Kevin Breuninger,
CNBC,
31 Mar. 2026
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In retaliation for a ground invasion, Iran’s Houthi allies in Yemen could attack ships in the Red Sea, halting the flow of oil and cargo via a route that’s been used to bypass the Strait of Hormuz.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
30 Mar. 2026
Verb
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Concord police said a physical altercation involving several adults, near an elementary school, ended with a man dying Wednesday evening.—
Jose Fabian,
CBS News,
2 Apr. 2026
-
McCray’s flashlight began dying, and Corder passed him a spare.—
Chris Ramirez,
jsonline.com,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
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Brooke Bereuter was masterful in goal for Grapevine shutting out Argyle (18-4-3) until the shootout, including stopping a key penalty kick in the first half.—
Darren Lauber,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
1 Apr. 2026
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And on Monday, March 30, the court upheld the stay, effectively stopping any chance that the execution would happen as scheduled.—
Amanda Lee Myers,
USA Today,
31 Mar. 2026
Verb
-
In this image taken from video provided by the Aker Qrill Company shows an activist ship, operated by the Captain Paul Watson Foundation, crashing into the Antarctic Sea, a vessel operated by Aker Qrill Company, on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Antarctica.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
1 Apr. 2026
-
Tiger Woods failed field sobriety tests after crashing into another vehicle last week, and had bloodshot eyes and two hydrocodone pills in his pants pocket, according to a probable cause arrest affidavit released Tuesday.—
Steve Henson,
Los Angeles Times,
31 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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And, through it all, stocks have continued to steadily rise, buoyed by hopes for Fed rate cuts, stronger-than-expected corporate earnings and slowing but stubborn confidence that an AI boom might reap big rewards for investors.—
John Towfighi,
CNN Money,
29 Aug. 2025
Verb
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For those who have the option, more are contemplating walking, cycling, carpooling or catching the bus or train to get some relief.—
Jessica Guynn,
USA Today,
1 Apr. 2026
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That inspired some smirks from Boone and Tanner Swanson, the team’s director of catching.—
Gary Phillips,
New York Daily News,
1 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Lawsuits also accuse the manufacturers of failing to warn parents of the risk.—
David Hilzenrath,
USA Today,
29 Mar. 2026
-
Richardson has prior arrests and convictions in Alabama for domestic violence, disorderly conduct and failing to appear in court dating back to March 2011, Manley said.—
City News Service,
Oc Register,
28 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Stalling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stalling. Accessed 4 Apr. 2026.
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