1
as in plays
to engage in activity for amusement
he spent his college years dallying, seemingly determined to acquire as little knowledge as possible
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in lingers
to move or act slowly
don't dally on the way to the interview
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3
as in flirts
to show a sexual attraction for someone just for fun
she spent the summer dallying with a guy renting the neighboring beach house
Synonyms & Similar Words
4
as in lazes
to spend time doing nothing
I kept dallying at my desk until I couldn't put off doing my work any longer
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for dallies
Verb
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As Cuenca plays a ball to the feet of his striker, Wilson dashes in the other direction, delaying Ibrahima Konate’s forward jump because the centre-back knows Bradley is unable to track both him and Robinson at the same time.—
Ahmed Walid, New York Times, 7 Jan. 2026
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In the dark romantic comedy-drama, True Blood alum Skarsgård, 49, plays tough biker Ray, who enters into a dominant-submissive relationship with Colin (Melling), a shy and directionless man who sings in a barbershop quartet.—
Verb
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Often, the significance of things lingers just beyond grasp, with events appearing both arbitrary and ordained.—
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The question lingers in Fields & Phantoms, where figures appear mid-journey, carrying something unseen but heavy nonetheless.—
Verb
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Mark briefly flirts with manosphere-style aggrievement, but anger doesn’t suit him.—
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Reeves flirts with Michael Douglas territory in this Eli Roth erotic thriller that’s not especially good but is interesting as an acting exercise.—
Verb
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Steer clear of clothing that drags on the floor.—
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The defensive coordinator search drags on.—
Verb
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But while the new movie dawdles on its way to Toxie’s origins, then rushes toward a finale with a lurching rhythm that verges on calculated ineptitude, its spirit never feels inauthentic.—
Verb
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Defenses applied the same concepts, too, emphasizing full-court pressure, which delays the opposing attack.—
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The order specifically delays a 30% duty on upholstered furniture and 50% levy on kitchen cabinets and vanities, keeping in place a 25% tariff on those goods that was imposed back in September.—
Verb
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As your car idles, warm air blown from the top of your dashboard will melt the ice on the outside of the windshield.—
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Security camera footage shows a black vehicle park in front of Café Bernardo, a restaurant, and idles for about two minutes.—
Verb
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Since the holidays, many of us have spent winter days cooped up inside, shuttling between work, school and home while the calendar crawls toward spring.—
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In Elf, while Santa (the late Ed Asner) is setting out toys at an orphanage on Christmas Eve, Buddy (Will Ferrell) crawls into his sack.—
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Cite this Entry
“Dallies.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/dallies. Accessed 20 Jan. 2026.
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