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
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of linger
Maybe things didn’t go as planned or maybe there’s no clear reason at all, just a lingering unsettling feeling.
—
Barton Goldsmith, AJC.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Rooms are generous in size and designed for lingering and lounging.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
While some rain lingers overnight into the pre-sunrise hours on Saturday, things will dry out just in time for the weekend.
—Michael Autovino, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
So while nothing may happen right away, the exposure can create risk that lingers.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for linger
Barton Goldsmith, AJC.com, 28 Apr. 2026
Rooms are generous in size and designed for lingering and lounging.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Apr. 2026
While some rain lingers overnight into the pre-sunrise hours on Saturday, things will dry out just in time for the weekend.
—Michael Autovino, CBS News, 28 Apr. 2026
So while nothing may happen right away, the exposure can create risk that lingers.
—Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 28 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for linger
Recent Examples of Synonyms for linger
Verb
-
Old luggage barcode stickers can confuse airline systems and increase the risk of bags being misrouted or delayed.—
Joey Skladany,
Travel + Leisure,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Following exhibitions in 2018 and 2019, however, Olympic inclusion was scrapped when COVID-19 delayed the Games.—
Jacob Feldman,
Sportico.com,
25 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
As the Iran war drags on, concerns over rising gas prices and other costs have ballooned, sending consumer sentiment plummeting.—
Eleanor Mueller,
semafor.com,
30 Apr. 2026
-
But now, in a last-ditch attempt to save the whale, a team has loaded Timmy onto a specialized barge to essentially drag it to the North Sea.—
K. R. Callaway,
Scientific American,
30 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
However, during one segment of the performance, a snake reportedly bit the German tourist after crawling into his clothing.—
Bonny Chu,
FOXNews.com,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Wages for hourly employees have crawled, while the paychecks of investors and executives have soared.—
Annie Lowrey,
The Atlantic,
28 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
When Andrei Vasilevskiy tried to poke the puck away, Bolduc had moved so deep into the crease area that the puck went off him and into the net for his first career playoff goal.—
Arpon Basu,
New York Times,
27 Apr. 2026
-
The host also poked fun at the Trumps’ living separately despite being married for 22 years.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
In this role, attack choppers could be modified to highly maneuverable launch platforms for loitering munitions.—
Christopher McFadden,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Apr. 2026
-
Suddenly three hours are gone and the fans are loitering around each chef’s station, ready to get their grub on.—
Roxana Hadadi,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2026
Verb
-
Every once in a while, the TV would display the now ubiquitous images of Suspect One and Suspect Two, who had been caught by surveillance cameras, wearing backpacks and strolling near the finish line moments before the explosions.—
Saïd Sayrafiezadeh,
New Yorker,
26 Apr. 2026
-
Spend the day at the lifeguarded beach and stroll the three-mile boardwalk along the oceanfront for loads of action, from street entertainers and live music to bike rentals and ice cream shops.—
Kara Williams,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Linger.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/linger. Accessed 1 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
