as in residual
still existing or happening after something is completed or removed
The area is still feeling the lingering effects of the hurricane. There are lingering questions about the extent of his involvement in the crime.
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
as in delaying
to move or act slowly
since they were charging by the hour, the house painters lingered in finishing up their work
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of lingering
C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2026
On the one hand, that means that many survive the disease without serious lingering effects.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2025
John Liu, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Women generally receive fewer advanced therapies for PE, like thrombectomy (a procedure to pluck out a clot), and end up with more bleeding complications and a higher rate of lingering issues, like clumps of scar tissue in arteries that can increase blood pressure.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 10 Feb. 2026
For now, Democrats seem content riding the growing blowback to the administration’s heavy-handed immigration crackdown and lingering affordability concerns, but Trump is taking steps to try and limit the damage to Republicans.
—Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
Public schools also continue to confront declining enrollment, lingering early literacy gaps, and the difficulty of rebuilding academic momentum as districts adapt to modern pressures intensified by the pandemic.
—State House News Service, Boston Herald, 10 Feb. 2026
Watch the video interview below On a recent morning, Mayor Zohran Mamdani calls in to Mornings With Mero — by now New York’s 34-year-old mayor is something of a recurring character on the show — and Mero jokingly takes him to task about the piles of snow still lingering in the streets.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026
By Tuesday morning, the water appeared to be cleaned up and there were no lingering impacts on train travel.
—Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
The Charlotte Hornets shut Coby White down through the All-Star break due to lingering calf injuries that have impacted his play all season.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Make sure to clean it regularly to avoid any lingering smells.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 10 Feb. 2026
Adjective
Thomas missed 57 games last season, mostly because of the same lingering left hamstring issue.
—C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 4 Feb. 2026
On the one hand, that means that many survive the disease without serious lingering effects.
—Katherine J. Wu, The Atlantic, 18 Dec. 2025
Verb
Experts point to restricted access to advanced chips and limited capital as lingering constraints.
—John Liu, CNN Money, 11 Feb. 2026
Women generally receive fewer advanced therapies for PE, like thrombectomy (a procedure to pluck out a clot), and end up with more bleeding complications and a higher rate of lingering issues, like clumps of scar tissue in arteries that can increase blood pressure.
—Erica Sloan, SELF, 10 Feb. 2026
For now, Democrats seem content riding the growing blowback to the administration’s heavy-handed immigration crackdown and lingering affordability concerns, but Trump is taking steps to try and limit the damage to Republicans.
—Washington Post, 10 Feb. 2026
Public schools also continue to confront declining enrollment, lingering early literacy gaps, and the difficulty of rebuilding academic momentum as districts adapt to modern pressures intensified by the pandemic.
—State House News Service, Boston Herald, 10 Feb. 2026
Watch the video interview below On a recent morning, Mayor Zohran Mamdani calls in to Mornings With Mero — by now New York’s 34-year-old mayor is something of a recurring character on the show — and Mero jokingly takes him to task about the piles of snow still lingering in the streets.
—Jeff Ihaza, Rolling Stone, 10 Feb. 2026
By Tuesday morning, the water appeared to be cleaned up and there were no lingering impacts on train travel.
—Tom Ignudo, CBS News, 10 Feb. 2026
The Charlotte Hornets shut Coby White down through the All-Star break due to lingering calf injuries that have impacted his play all season.
—Colleen Kane, Chicago Tribune, 10 Feb. 2026
Make sure to clean it regularly to avoid any lingering smells.
—Hallie Milstein, Southern Living, 10 Feb. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for lingering
Adjective
-
Kyung-Shick Choi, the director of cybercrime and cybersecurity at Boston University's Metropolitan College, said such residual data can still remain in the server systems that store, process or temporarily cache video files and metadata.—
Ramon Padilla,
USA Today,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The footage and its underlying data could go through hundreds of thousands of servers and systems all over the world — increasing the chance of residual data being left behind.—
Hadas Gold,
CNN Money,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Bushman, who was posted with the CDC, got a medical waiver delaying her deployment on account of stress and grief.—
Amy Maxmen,
Miami Herald,
11 Feb. 2026
-
His company has mitigated tariff expenses by delaying store expansion and purchasing roasting equipment before the tariffs went into effect.—
Lori Ann LaRocco,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Darrell English, who leads the union for TSA agents in Illinois and Wisconsin, said the toll of multiple shutdowns could have lasting effects for the agency to retain workers.—
Victor Jacobo,
CBS News,
14 Feb. 2026
-
Shorter winters disrupt recreation and can have lasting impacts on lake ecosystems, agriculture and public health.—
Caitlin Looby,
jsonline.com,
12 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Trump’s dragging his own name and America’s name in the muck.—
Maureen Dowd,
Mercury News,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Their misery was compounded by Szoboszlai’s dismissal for dragging back Erling Haaland deep into stoppage time when the net was gaping, with goalkeeper Alisson marooned upfield.—
James Pearce,
New York Times,
9 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The Telltale Signs of Rotary Motion The re-examination revealed unmistakable evidence that this was no simple awl meant for poking holes.—
Ryan Brennan,
Miami Herald,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Garlic is a kitchen staple for many, but spotting a green sprout poking out of a clove can raise questions about food safety.—
Caitlin Beale,
Health,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
To save energy and prevent overheating, there’s a handy power button on top to easily turn the system on and off without crawling beneath your desk to access the wall outlet.—
Kelsey Borovinsky,
Architectural Digest,
9 Feb. 2026
-
Our March trip coincided with the birthing season, and as a result the place was crawling with baby animals.—
Flora Stubbs,
Travel + Leisure,
7 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
And if this keeps up, the Hornets have a legitimate chance to end the NBA’s longest current playoff drought, which is creeping in on a full decade.—
Roderick Boone,
Charlotte Observer,
10 Feb. 2026
-
Balancing weight loss with bone health Helpful strategies to prevent weight regain related to diet include building meals around lean protein and noticing where calories might be creeping in, such as snacks, sugary drinks and alcohol.—
Amy J. Sheer,
The Conversation,
5 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Lingering.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/lingering. Accessed 17 Feb. 2026.
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