1
as in to play
to engage in activity for amusement
he spent his college years dallying, seemingly determined to acquire as little knowledge as possible
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2
as in to linger
to move or act slowly
don't dally on the way to the interview
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3
as in to flirt
to show a sexual attraction for someone just for fun
she spent the summer dallying with a guy renting the neighboring beach house
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4
as in to lazy
to spend time doing nothing
I kept dallying at my desk until I couldn't put off doing my work any longer
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dally
As is so often the case for Hong, his latest is a gentle, hypnotically watchable film that breezes by as Iris does herself, dallying around Seoul in a loose summer dress and her striking bright-green cardigan.
—
David Opie, IndieWire, 21 Nov. 2024
This is no time for the dilly-dallying dog days of August.
—Tim Britton, The Athletic, 15 Aug. 2024
The Dodgers were dallying in Scott's trade market before he was sent to the San Diego Padres along with reliever Bryan Hoeing for four minor league players.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 19 Jan. 2025
With the ball loose in midfield, Southampton’s Flynn Downes dallied on the halfway line, stuck in two minds over whether to push to win possession or retreat into his own half.
—Elias Burke, The Athletic, 23 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dally
David Opie, IndieWire, 21 Nov. 2024
This is no time for the dilly-dallying dog days of August.
—Tim Britton, The Athletic, 15 Aug. 2024
The Dodgers were dallying in Scott's trade market before he was sent to the San Diego Padres along with reliever Bryan Hoeing for four minor league players.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 19 Jan. 2025
With the ball loose in midfield, Southampton’s Flynn Downes dallied on the halfway line, stuck in two minds over whether to push to win possession or retreat into his own half.
—Elias Burke, The Athletic, 23 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for dally
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dally
Verb
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The trio finished with a 4-1 lead in shots and 10 hits between them while playing predominantly against the Stars’ second and fourth lines.—
Murat Ates,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
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That defense fueled one of the best offensive quarters any team has played this season.—
Jon Krawczynski,
New York Times,
11 Apr. 2025
Verb
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And though a few dozen people left the dinner early to catch the end or start of various performances, which included Charli XCX and the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, about half of the long table lingered after dessert to continue chatting with their tablemates.—
Ye Fan,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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Still, memories of the show lingered in a few significant minds: both Stephen Sondheim and Fred Ebb felt its influence.—
Alex Ross,
New Yorker,
14 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Many White Lotus fans got an increasingly queasy feeling watching the siblings flirt with the boundaries of what is appropriate throughout the first half of Season 3.—
Eliana Dockterman,
TIME,
24 Mar. 2025
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After suffering two embarrassing losses to bottom-four teams each conference, the Knicks flirted with losing a third, blowing a substantial lead against the 15-win Wizards before pulling away with a 122-103 victory at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
23 Mar. 2025
Verb
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Even so, merely delaying the change doesn't help others and, frankly, customer service could still suffer longer term.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2025
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However, the brothers will still have a resentencing hearing soon, provided it does not get delayed again.—
Kate Nalepinski,
MSNBC Newsweek,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Players dawdled on the ball in key moments, hesitant to make mistakes.—
Carl Anka,
New York Times,
14 Apr. 2025
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Skelly secured the Obama Administration’s commitment to buy his energy, but in the course of a decade the project slowly collapsed, as state powers dawdled and eventually refused to issue the necessary permits.—
Benjamin Wallace-Wells,
The New Yorker,
3 Mar. 2025
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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Sitting in his idling pickup one afternoon, Sherlock watched as a Canadian Pacific train rumbled by the grain elevator in the small town of Wimbledon.—
Kirk Siegler,
NPR,
14 Mar. 2025
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Their boat was found idling in circles, sparking a massive search.—
Joseph Wilkinson,
New York Daily News,
10 Mar. 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
Cite this Entry
“Dally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dally. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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