1
as in to play
to engage in activity for amusement
he spent his college years dallying, seemingly determined to acquire as little knowledge as possible
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2
as in to linger
to move or act slowly
don't dally on the way to the interview
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3
as in to flirt
to show a sexual attraction for someone just for fun
she spent the summer dallying with a guy renting the neighboring beach house
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4
as in to lazy
to spend time doing nothing
I kept dallying at my desk until I couldn't put off doing my work any longer
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of dally
Their dallying tartness charts an ongoing conversation on the renowned love affair of sour and spice in Mexican cuisine — one worth celebrating.
—
Andrea Aliseda, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2024
And then there’s her day job, as a receptionist at her art-school alma mater, to pay her landlord, who dallies on fixing the heater.
—Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 22 June 2023
Another factor in the release undating was Bad Bunny’s touring schedule, which had firmed up while the movie was dallying.
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 June 2023
After wrapping up some unfinished business in the aforementioned Morocco (for which the deserts of Jordan this time stand in), Wick makes his way to Japan and Germany before dallying to Paris for the denouement.
—Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for dally
Andrea Aliseda, Los Angeles Times, 25 Sep. 2024
And then there’s her day job, as a receptionist at her art-school alma mater, to pay her landlord, who dallies on fixing the heater.
—Doreen St. Félix, The New Yorker, 22 June 2023
Another factor in the release undating was Bad Bunny’s touring schedule, which had firmed up while the movie was dallying.
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 21 June 2023
After wrapping up some unfinished business in the aforementioned Morocco (for which the deserts of Jordan this time stand in), Wick makes his way to Japan and Germany before dallying to Paris for the denouement.
—Charlie Hobbs, Condé Nast Traveler, 24 Mar. 2023
See All Example Sentences for dally
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dally
Verb
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Engage Your Senses In a shared office environment, playing loud music or lighting a scented candle is frowned upon.—
Kate Wieczorek,
Forbes.com,
29 Mar. 2025
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Goodrich leads all scorers with 39 points in the 106-98 loss at Chicago. 1972 — Wilt Chamberlain plays his last pro basketball game.—
Houston Mitchell,
Los Angeles Times,
28 Mar. 2025
Verb
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After her mother's stroke, Keys said self-care meant taking her blood pressure medication, drinking water and lingering for a moment at the mailbox to take in the sunshine and feel the wind on her face.—
Madeline Mitchell,
USA Today,
4 Apr. 2025
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The cool weather is expected to linger in the metro during the first part of next week.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
4 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The market understands that Trump is way out over his skis on this, and is going to send him a message this week hammering that home (S&P flirting with bear market territory this morning).—
John W. Dean,
MSNBC Newsweek,
7 Apr. 2025
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The index, which sits at the heart of many investors’ 401(k) accounts, has been flirting with a drop of 20% from its record set less than two months ago.—
Elaine Kurtenbach,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Even so, merely delaying the change doesn't help others and, frankly, customer service could still suffer longer term.—
Susan Tompor,
USA Today,
8 Apr. 2025
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China’s chief antitrust regulator is currently reviewing the BlackRock-Hutchison deal, effectively delaying the transaction before it was expected to be signed on April 2.—
Glenn Taylor,
Sourcing Journal,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
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The showers are expected to dawdle in the area before exiting by early afternoon, the National Weather Service said in its forecast discussion.—
Robert A. Cronkleton,
Kansas City Star,
30 Mar. 2025
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Now is not the time to dawdle, as certain entries on the list might still sell out by week’s end.—
Staff report,
Hartford Courant,
6 Feb. 2025
Verb
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The average is dragged lower by the three most recent economic contractions, which were all atypical.—
Bill Stone,
Forbes.com,
6 Apr. 2025
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Watkins combines that with intelligent runs in behind, dragging defenders with him.—
Art de Roché,
New York Times,
3 Apr. 2025
Verb
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Cleveland-Cliffs — The steel producer declined 1.2% after a report from the Minnesota Star Tribune said Cleveland-Cliffs would temporarily idle two factories, resulting in hundreds of job cuts.—
Hakyung Kim,
CNBC,
21 Mar. 2025
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In court papers, top CFPB officials have said the agency remains committed to meeting its obligations under the law, rejecting arguments that by idling the majority of the agency's staff and canceling the bulk of its contracts, the Trump administration is violating the law.—
Douglas Gillison and Daniel Wiessner,
USA TODAY,
4 Mar. 2025
Verb
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If no shelter is available, crawl to an interior wall away from windows.—
Helena Wegner,
Sacbee.com,
4 Apr. 2025
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Senators from both sides of the aisle are reigniting efforts to crawl back technology companies’ legal immunities with hopes bipartisan support in Congress could push the bill across the finish line this session and gain the backing of President Trump.—
Miranda Nazzaro,
The Hill,
2 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Dally.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dally. Accessed 16 Apr. 2025.
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