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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Recent Examples of dawdle
Before building a vacuum train tube from L.A. to San Francisco, proponents must succeed with an 8-kilometer test track
Philip E. Ross
18 Dec 2015
8 min read
The Straight Road: Only when dawdling in the city can Hyperloop capsules handle more than a gentle curve.
—
IEEE Spectrum, 18 Dec. 2015
Instead, season three of The White Lotus dawdles too long, trying to save too much of the good stuff for the end.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2025
The showers are expected to dawdle in the area before exiting by early afternoon, the National Weather Service said in its forecast discussion.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2025
Federal officials have sometimes responded to adverse decisions with dawdling or grudging compliance.
—Hurubie Meko, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dawdle
IEEE Spectrum, 18 Dec. 2015
Instead, season three of The White Lotus dawdles too long, trying to save too much of the good stuff for the end.
—Kathryn Vanarendonk, Vulture, 7 Apr. 2025
The showers are expected to dawdle in the area before exiting by early afternoon, the National Weather Service said in its forecast discussion.
—Robert A. Cronkleton, Kansas City Star, 30 Mar. 2025
Federal officials have sometimes responded to adverse decisions with dawdling or grudging compliance.
—Hurubie Meko, New York Times, 10 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dawdle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dawdle
Verb
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Early morning flights are typically the least likely to be canceled or delayed, and taking nonstop flights whenever possible reduces your chances of an issue during your journey.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
15 May 2025
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The vote for the student zoning was delayed after many parents and community members objected to a plan that would move around 100 elementary students at Marie G. Davis School in southwest Charlotte to the already overcrowded Dilworth Elementary for the 2025-26 school year.—
Rebecca Noel,
Charlotte Observer,
14 May 2025
Verb
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The finish is medium-long and sweet, with lingering baking spice and a touch of aged oak.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
10 May 2025
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After so much anticipation, some observers were disappointed by the lingering uncertainty over the exact whereabouts of the spacecraft’s grave.—
Marcia Dunn,
Chicago Tribune,
10 May 2025
Verb
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Challenging the narrative Defense attorney Stuart Adelstein strolled over to the lectern, his eyes piercing the jurors just feet away from him.—
Grethel Aguila,
Miami Herald,
12 May 2025
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The Courant reported, in a story written in 1991, when the Pedlar approached its 100th anniversary, that the inn had seen many famous people stroll into its Victorian-style lobby and its dining room.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
10 May 2025
Verb
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When the window broke, the bear crawled out safely and returned to the woods.—
Shyla Watson,
People.com,
10 May 2025
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Inspectors saw one rat crawling from the top equipment shelf in an unapproved back dry storage area onto the roof, and another rat on an electrical line behind a two-door household freezer/refrigerator in the same dry storage area.—
Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado,
Sacbee.com,
9 May 2025
Verb
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In March, steelmaker Cleveland-Cliffs idled its Dearborn operations, laying off 600, due to tariffs.—
Jamie L. LaReau,
USA Today,
7 May 2025
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Stellantis has stopped making Chrysler minivans and Dodge muscle cars in Windsor, Ontario, for two weeks, idling about 3,200 of its employees.—
Ian Austen,
New York Times,
12 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Andre needs some help The Brazil international midfielder dragged himself from the field near the end on Saturday, with Pereira later allaying any fears about an injury.—
Steve Madeley,
New York Times,
12 May 2025
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Gunther dragged Cole into the ring and pushed him around and out of the ring.—
Ryan Gaydos,
FOXNews.com,
11 May 2025
Verb
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Some buildings have already collapsed, while the once picturesque boating lake, where couples could dreamily laze in the summer months, today carries hidden dangers to go with Ukraine’s ongoing war against Russia.—
Richard Sutcliffe,
New York Times,
26 Apr. 2025
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About 73 percent of respondents say that rangefinders capable of lazing targets beyond 1,000 yards align with fair-chase considerations and support their use in hunting.—
Andrew McKean,
Outdoor Life,
10 Jan. 2025
Verb
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During that same April 5 episode, Weekend Update’s Colin Jost poked fun at the singer in a bit about the economy.—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
12 May 2025
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The contest did not last long as Edwards poked Muhammad in the eye 18 seconds into the second round.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
11 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dawdle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dawdle. Accessed 22 May. 2025.
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