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
Research shows that lingering negative emotions can significantly reduce decision accuracy.
—
Jennifer Kamara, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
There was a lingering sense of the ’50s in much of his music, especially the earlier songs, with high hopes and good times mingling through a lens of bikinis, surfboards, hot rods and young love.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 12 June 2025
Because of these lingering gender norms, the barrier for dads to seek support can be high.
—Lynda Lin Grigsby, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2025
That’s because there will be periods of heavy rain and a mass of lingering unstable and humid air swirling about South Florida.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for linger
Jennifer Kamara, Forbes.com, 12 June 2025
There was a lingering sense of the ’50s in much of his music, especially the earlier songs, with high hopes and good times mingling through a lens of bikinis, surfboards, hot rods and young love.
—Jim Harrington, Mercury News, 12 June 2025
Because of these lingering gender norms, the barrier for dads to seek support can be high.
—Lynda Lin Grigsby, Los Angeles Times, 11 June 2025
That’s because there will be periods of heavy rain and a mass of lingering unstable and humid air swirling about South Florida.
—Howard Cohen, Miami Herald, 3 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for linger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for linger
Verb
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Since his sentencing 37 years ago, Menzies' attorneys have filed multiple appeals that delayed his death sentence, which had been scheduled at least twice before it was postponed.—
Landon Mion,
FOXNews.com,
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 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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Recent videos from Boston Dynamics shows the humanoid Atlas bot crawling, tumbling and even break dancing.—
Christopher Helman,
Forbes.com,
12 June 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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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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Using a plausible cover story, the red team passed front-desk security, loitered in stairwells, and accessed upper levels with lower foot traffic.—
Jochen Schwenk,
Forbes.com,
4 June 2025
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In addition, the use of loitering drones designed to attack radar systems represents a significant escalation in the technological sophistication of cross-border attacks compared to years past.—
Farah N. Jan,
The Conversation,
10 May 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
Cite this Entry
“Linger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/linger. Accessed 19 Jun. 2025.
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