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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dawdle
Some of this feels more like dawdling: What's the point of Stick's cynical old buddy (Marc Maron) getting trapped under a fold-out bed?
—
Tom Gliatto, People.com, 4 June 2025
According to PitchBook, venture capital deals dawdled in 2024—fewer funding deals took place, but those that did tended to have higher valuations.
—Zoya Hasan, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Players dawdled on the ball in key moments, hesitant to make mistakes.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Past Republican presidents were content to dawdle on tax cuts and entitlement reform, but Trump, understanding that the values of America are communicated through its art and entertainment, has instead sought to impose his fairly common and generally decent tastes on popular culture.
—Peter Tonguette, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dawdle
Tom Gliatto, People.com, 4 June 2025
According to PitchBook, venture capital deals dawdled in 2024—fewer funding deals took place, but those that did tended to have higher valuations.
—Zoya Hasan, Forbes.com, 18 Apr. 2025
Players dawdled on the ball in key moments, hesitant to make mistakes.
—Carl Anka, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
Past Republican presidents were content to dawdle on tax cuts and entitlement reform, but Trump, understanding that the values of America are communicated through its art and entertainment, has instead sought to impose his fairly common and generally decent tastes on popular culture.
—Peter Tonguette, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 14 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for dawdle
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dawdle
Verb
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More than 300 flights were delayed at Denver International Airport on Saturday due to a ground delay caused by thunderstorms in the area.—
Marco Cummings,
Denver Post,
14 Sep. 2025
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Previously, researchers faced strict regulations that could delay their work.—
Dario Sabaghi,
Forbes.com,
13 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The announcement, sparse on specific details, captured the trepidation and lingering ambivalences that AI companies have about policing young users, even as OpenAI begins to implement these basic features nearly three years after the launch of ChatGPT.—
Matteo Wong,
The Atlantic,
18 Sep. 2025
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The performance was impacted by the lingering effects of operational challenges, delivery delays and store closures initiated last year.—
Sandra Salibian,
Footwear News,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Last October, Ann Watson strolled into her local Costco with a shopping list and a sense of purpose.—
Daniel de Visé,
USA Today,
17 Sep. 2025
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Auciccoo Plus-size 2-piece Outfit Sometimes, loungewear is just perfect for strolling through autumn leaves or taking a long flight where comfort is the key to enjoying the experience.—
Robin Raven,
Travel + Leisure,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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There’s tunnels to crawl through, regular live performances from Quixotic that synchronize with the experience, and a functioning 240-seat theater that plans to host film festivals.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
18 Sep. 2025
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Some coast with healthy double-digit conversion rates, while others crawl along at 5% or 6%.—
Jon Stojan,
Forbes.com,
18 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The San Diego State football team, idle over the weekend, has had two weeks to prepare for this weekend’s nonconference game against Cal.—
Kirk Kenney,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
17 Sep. 2025
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Avoid excessive idling and do not top off when refueling motor vehicles.—
Matthew Robinson,
MSNBC Newsweek,
16 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Any resulting court case within the Defense Department's own legal system could result in counter lawsuits, which could drag on for months.—
Anne Flaherty,
ABC News,
17 Sep. 2025
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Need to know Nvidia probe drags on.—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
17 Sep. 2025
Verb
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Play croquet or shuffleboard on the property, head down to the beach and laze under one of the hotel’s cabanas, or borrow a bicycle to cruise into town.—
Sophie Friedman,
AFAR Media,
4 Sep. 2025
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Located on the southern tip of Mexico’s Baja California Peninsula, Los Cabos is a great destination to laze about beachside or go on a deep-sea excursion.—
Essence,
Essence,
25 Aug. 2025
Verb
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Keep communication open by avoiding poking fun at these practices.—
Ashleigh N. DeLuca,
Parents,
16 Sep. 2025
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Gibson proceeded to the Children’s Chorus room, where two staffers welcomed her to poke through the costume racks.—
Sarah Larson,
New Yorker,
15 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dawdle.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dawdle. Accessed 21 Sep. 2025.
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