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
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
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
See All Example Sentences for dawdle
Benjamin Wallace-Wells, The New Yorker, 3 Mar. 2025
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
See All Example Sentences for dawdle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dawdle
Verb
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Meanwhile, Boeing’s project has been hampered by stress corrosion cracks on the planes and excessive noise in the cabins from the decompression system, among other issues that have delayed delivery, according to a Government Accountability Office report released last year.—
Tara Copp,
Los Angeles Times,
7 June 2025
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Last year, the NFL reported a 20,000% increase in unauthorized drone activity over games between 2017 and 2023, some of which delayed games.—
Will McCurdy,
PC Magazine,
7 June 2025
Verb
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The finish is long and sweet, with lingering notes of peat smoke, honey, vanilla, and a hint of oak spice.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
3 June 2025
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This dust could collide with any lingering smoke in the South this week, potentially causing unhealthy air quality and a hazy, duller sky during the day, bracketed by colorful sunrises and sunsets.—
Mary Gilbert,
CNN Money,
3 June 2025
Verb
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The elephant strolled in from the nearby national park, Kha Yai, and is a familiar sight in the Nakhon Ratchasima province of Thailand, the Associated Press reported.—
Rachel Flynn,
People.com,
4 June 2025
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It’s said that as a young and then unknown designer, Christian Dior, strolled past the Hôtel Plaza Athénée on a breezy afternoon.—
Liam Hess,
Vogue,
3 June 2025
Verb
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The Zenbook crawled to the finish line in every test.—
PC Magazine,
PC Magazine,
29 May 2025
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The men allegedly crawled out of the hole to a loading dock, scaled an exterior concrete wall of the jail complex and darted across a freeway to freedom.—
Kati Weis,
CBS News,
29 May 2025
Verb
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Cops responded at 3:56 a.m. to a report that a vehicle was idling by the roadside near the intersection of Woodland and Irving streets, its driver apparently unconscious.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
20 May 2025
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Forget circling for parking or idling in tight corners—residents drive into a bay, and the system takes over.—
Abby Montanez,
Robb Report,
19 May 2025
Verb
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Over the Great Plains, the high-level flow of winds has been pushing the smoke south, and shifting upper-level winds from the west will drag the smoke over the eastern states, according to The Weather Channel.—
Janet Loehrke,
USA Today,
5 June 2025
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The phone call between Trump and Putin came as the war, which has dragged on for nearly 3.5 years, shows no signs of abating despite mounting pressure for a diplomatic breakthrough.—
Nik Popli,
Time,
4 June 2025
Verb
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And if that interest is lazing by the beach, transfers to local beach clubs will be offered as well.—
Laurie Werner,
Forbes,
27 Feb. 2025
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As the dog lazed in the dirt in Shelby Park, one guardsman ruminated about new missions to alleviate the boredom.—
Jack Healy,
New York Times,
13 Feb. 2025
Verb
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That victory put O’Malley back in the rankings. O’Malley’s next bout ended in a no contest, when an eye poke in the second round left Pedro Munhoz unable to continue.—
Trent Reinsmith,
Forbes.com,
7 June 2025
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Senior Russian security official Dmitry Medvedev poked fun at the explosive war of words between U.S. President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk, offering to mediate peace between the two political allies.—
Shane Croucher,
MSNBC Newsweek,
6 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dawdle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dawdle. Accessed 10 Jun. 2025.
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