1
as in to delay
to move or act slowly
don't dillydally on the way to the store
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in to lazy
to spend time doing nothing
restaurant employees who, during the slow periods, would rather be doing something instead of just dillydallying
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dillydally
There was the tapping of the top of the bat to his toes, scribbling in the dirt, adjusting his gloves and swiping his shoulder, among other displays of dillydallying.
—
Anna Brand, CNN, 30 Mar. 2023
Bathroom breaks and other excuses for dillydallying give your heart rate a chance to return to normal.
—Elizabeth Narins, Cosmopolitan, 22 May 2015
Anna Brand, CNN, 30 Mar. 2023
Bathroom breaks and other excuses for dillydallying give your heart rate a chance to return to normal.
—Elizabeth Narins, Cosmopolitan, 22 May 2015
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dillydally
Verb
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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
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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
Verb
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Overcast skies and lingering wet weather isn’t expected to alter the event.—
Brian Niemietz,
New York Daily News,
13 June 2025
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That didn't happen early Friday, however, perhaps signaling investors' lingering worries over the high level of U.S. debt.—
Scott Horsley,
NPR,
13 June 2025
Verb
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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
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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
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
Verb
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The graduate is not only bummed about the sister’s absence.—
Brian Anthony Hernandez,
People.com,
25 May 2025
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Everyone — from those actually paying to the ones still bumming a log-in — wants to know how Netflix and other streaming services’ crackdowns on password sharing affect them.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
20 May 2025
Verb
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The curious little creatures interact with you (sometimes crawling on your body) while practicing your pose, adding an extra stress-reducing and unforgettable element to your usual yoga routine.—
AFAR Media,
AFAR Media,
13 June 2025
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He’s cut off from family and beset by crawling spiders at night, Brindley said.—
Theresa Braine,
New York Daily News,
12 June 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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It was led by local people who didn’t give up on their community when its major employer, the Stellantis plant, was idled in early 2023.—
Laurent Belsie,
Christian Science Monitor,
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
Cite this Entry
“Dillydally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dillydally. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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