as in to delay
to move or act slowly
since they were charging by the hour, the house painters lingered in finishing up their work
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of linger
Though no formal penalty was issued then, the incident lingered in memory, and Sunday's repeat only reignited the debate.
—
Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 July 2025
Her eyes linger on the sandwich board out front, with words scrawled in chalk.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 17 July 2025
Devers balked at moving to play first base, and controversy lingered leading up to the trade.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 16 July 2025
New research provides evidence that the condition arises from lingering levels of Neanderthal DNA in our genomes, which may cause people with Chiari to have a more compact and flatter occipital bone — the part of the skull that cups the cerebellum.
—Ruairi MacKenzie, Discover Magazine, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for linger
Devlina Sarkar, MSNBC Newsweek, 20 July 2025
Her eyes linger on the sandwich board out front, with words scrawled in chalk.
—Carly Tagen-Dye, People.com, 17 July 2025
Devers balked at moving to play first base, and controversy lingered leading up to the trade.
—Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 16 July 2025
New research provides evidence that the condition arises from lingering levels of Neanderthal DNA in our genomes, which may cause people with Chiari to have a more compact and flatter occipital bone — the part of the skull that cups the cerebellum.
—Ruairi MacKenzie, Discover Magazine, 16 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for linger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for linger
Verb
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However, rocket launches can often be delayed due to poor weather or issues with the spacecraft.—
Eric Lagatta,
AZCentral.com,
25 July 2025
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South Park's season 27 premiere was delayed and ultimately moved from Comedy Central to Paramount+ amid parent company Paramount's pending merger with Skydance.—
Emlyn Travis Published,
EW.com,
25 July 2025
Verb
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Insects and other pests like rodents can easily crawl inside and make themselves at home.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
19 July 2025
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This remains a place where crabs crawl out of the water at sunset, stingrays swim around surfers in the Pacific, and languidly smiling sloths—the national mascot—remind us all to slow down.—
Laura Dannen Redman,
AFAR Media,
16 July 2025
Verb
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This review pokes a useful hole in the breathless reception this film received, while managing to feel fond.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
24 July 2025
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The dish is almost a tease, tickling and poking you by showcasing carrots such that here a confident argument is made to herald them in as the pre-eminent salad vegetable.—
Timothy DePeugh,
Charlotte Observer,
23 July 2025
Verb
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Pitmaster Roy Perez ceremoniously dragged a metal tub of hot coals up Commerce Street to transfer the fire from the old pits to the new ones.—
Robert F. Moss,
Southern Living,
23 July 2025
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Charlie's sudden, grotesque exit becomes the catalyst for the rest of the film, dragging her family down a relentless tailspin of grief (and ancestral demons).—
James Mercadante,
EW.com,
23 July 2025
Verb
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In another scenario, New Berlin police officers responded to a woman who was loitering and recognized signs of schizophrenia and PTSD.—
Bridget Fogarty,
jsonline.com,
3 July 2025
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Two men in T-shirts, who had been loitering for hours, followed him.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
13 June 2025
Verb
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Shelling, also known as beachcombing, is strolling along the seashore in search of seashells.—
Gabi De la Rosa,
Southern Living,
24 July 2025
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Outside of the spa, stroll the Lichtentaler Allee, a famous park dotted with sculptures, rose gardens, and Belle Époque architecture.—
Sofia Markovich,
Travel + Leisure,
24 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Linger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/linger. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.
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