How to Use linger in a Sentence

linger

verb
Definition of lingernext
Synonyms for lingernext
  • The tourists didn't linger very long.
  • The idea lingered in their minds.
  • The heat lingered long after the sun had gone down.
  • The smell of her perfume lingered.
  • He lingered in bed and missed breakfast.
  • She lingered at the art exhibit.
  • They lingered over coffee after dinner.
  • These questions, whether fair or not, linger at the edges of the strike.
    — Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 29 Nov. 2022
  • But those figures could dip as the air stays cool and the clouds linger.
    — Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2023
  • On Sunday, the clouds are likely to linger much of the day.
    — Dave Epstein, BostonGlobe.com, 4 Nov. 2022
  • The pain still lingers with Terrence Woods Sr., as well.
    — Kyani Reid, NBC News, 22 Oct. 2023
  • As the talks lingered, tensions rose — and nerves set in.
    — Kristy Hutchings, Press-Telegram, Long Beach, Anchorage Daily News, 15 June 2023
  • Not the best, mind you, but memories of this pair still linger.
    — Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Dec. 2023
  • There was a ‘full circle’ air around us that still lingers.
    — Madison Bloom, Pitchfork, 9 Jan. 2025
  • It’s bottled at 110 proof, but the heat is tempered and does not linger.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 4 Aug. 2023
  • The air was stagnant with the lingering, acrid smell of smoke, rot, and death.
    — Carolyn Kormann, The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2023
  • Uranus will linger near Venus but will be harder to spot.
    — Amudalat Ajasa, Anchorage Daily News, 29 Mar. 2023
  • Questions linger about how well the mandates will work and whether states will stick to the timelines.
    — Joey Cappelletti, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2023
  • This light cedarwood scent smells great but doesn’t linger all day.
    — John Thompson, Men's Health, 10 Nov. 2022
  • What kind of pop group was so willing to linger over death and taxes?
    — Jon Pareles, New York Times, 31 Oct. 2022
  • Clouds may linger Saturday night with lows in the upper 30s to mid-40s.
    — Matt Rogers, Washington Post, 27 Feb. 2024
  • But first, don't let those leftovers linger around too long.
    — Susan Selasky, Detroit Free Press, 25 Nov. 2022
  • The overhang of the chaos of these past few years will linger long after Trump himself is gone.
    — Laura Jedeed, The New Republic, 4 Apr. 2023
  • Plus there’s an ex-boyfriend, played by Ryan Vasquez, who lingers at the edges of Creel’s consciousness.
    — Vulture, 4 Dec. 2023
  • The effects linger, leaving the body in a constant state of panic.
    — Lana Barhum, Verywell Health, 26 Apr. 2023
  • Though athletes had been warned to clear the stage, many of them lingered to sing along and take selfies.
    — Christian Allaire, Vogue, 11 Aug. 2024
  • The friction between Green and Poole lingered over the season.
    — Sopan Deb, New York Times, 22 June 2023
  • But these coughs seemed to linger, and the handful of hacking dogs soon turned into dozens.
    — Emily Anthes, BostonGlobe.com, 3 Dec. 2022
  • By late Sunday night, most of the snow will come to an end, but there could be lingering slick spots on the roads into Monday morning.
    — Julia Reinstein, ABC News, 19 Jan. 2025
  • The dry down reveals creamy tonka bean and sandalwood base notes, grounding the composition with a soft, cashmere-like warmth that lingers beautifully.
    — Kimberly Wilson, Essence, 10 Jan. 2025

Some of these examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'linger.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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