1
as in blocking
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
2
as in procrastinating
Related Words
Dissimilar Words
1
as in halting
to bring (something) to a standstill
endless complaints stalled the process of selecting the winning design for the memorial
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dying
to stop functioning
the engine stalls sometimes when it's very cold outside
Synonyms & Similar Words
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 stalling
Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 19 Aug. 2025
Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald, 8 Nov. 2025
Because of these risks, the security implications of adopting AI are mounting faster than many enterprises can manage, leading to serious discussions on how to keep these systems safe without stalling progress.
—Daniel Fusch, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025
The three vehicles involved in the crash were in the center divider, and two northbound lanes were blocked on the Capital City Freeway, stalling traffic during afternoon commute hours.
—Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 5 Nov. 2025
Grade Lane, a major road near the crash site, was closed indefinitely between Stooge and Crittenden, stalling local traffic and further restricting access to the scene.
—Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 4 Nov. 2025
Science has the inconvenient property of sometimes stalling out.
—James Somers, New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2025
The filibuster has played its part in stalling the passing of the Republican funding bill, as the filibuster rule mandates that 60 Senate votes are needed for most legislation.
—Callum Sutherland, Time, 3 Nov. 2025
Storms are stalling Just before or after landfall, hurricanes are now more likely to stall and dump immense amounts of rain, according to a study published last year.
—Denise Chow, NBC news, 29 Oct. 2025
Other work from Kossin, a former scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration who teaches at the University of Wisconsin, stands out for showing a trend toward slower-moving or even stalling North Atlantic tropical storms and hurricanes at or near landfall.
—Andrew Freedman, CNN Money, 23 Oct. 2025
Adjective
Republican House Speaker Dustin Burrows promised swift action and vowed to brook no more stalling tactics from Democrats.
—Verb
Miami’s first drive stalls A Carson Beck sack ultimately led to Miami’s first drive of the game stalling near midfield.
—Recent Examples of Synonyms for stalling
Verb
-
Their lack of insight into their adversaries’ intelligence capability makes these militiamen demonstrably ineffectual at halting intelligence breaches.—
-
The Administration also scaled back mRNA vaccine projects aimed at advancing the development of countermeasures for public health emergencies, halting 22 projects worth nearly $500 million that involved contracts with major pharmaceutical companies such as Moderna and Pfizer.—
Verb
-
As oblivion approached, with all its attendant possibilities of panic or bitterness, Bowie summoned the generosity to evoke the ordeal of one prematurely dying man while also thinking and creating at the no less vast scale of life itself.—
-
Since the late 1980s, newspapers like the Press and the Post-Gazette have been dying a slow death with loss of circulation and advertising revenue that's all but disappeared since the birth of the internet.—
Verb
-
The Rhode founder and her stylist Dani Michele delivered a show-stopping moment on the red carpet, pulling a shimmering 2009 Armani Privé gown from the archives.—
-
Stroll through the Funk Zone, stopping at wineries, breweries, and local shops along the way.—
Verb
-
Her vehicle accelerated down the road, crashing into parked cars nearby.—
-
The Honda traveled another several feet before crashing into another car.—
Adjective
-
And, through it all, stocks have continued to steadily rise, buoyed by hopes for Fed rate cuts, stronger-than-expected corporate earnings and slowing but stubborn confidence that an AI boom might reap big rewards for investors.—
Verb
-
Through the air, their pass-catching group is one of the worst in the playoffs.—
-
At Oklahoma, Livingstone will be catching passes from John Mateer, who completed 62% of his passes for 2,885 yards in 2025, accumulating 14 touchdown passes to go with 11 interceptions.—
Verb
-
More than 10,000 people have reportedly been arrested in recent weeks for participating in the anti-government protests sparked by Iran’s failing economy, according to human rights groups, and many have begun to demand total regime change as the demonstrations continue.—
-
Some of Miami’s 23 turnovers were a function of OKC’s attacking defense, but others were simply careless, including an over-and-back violation by Jaime Jaquez; Dru Smith and Pelle Larsson passes to nobody in particular; and Bam Adebayo failing to grab a catchable pass that sailed out of bounds.—
Verb
-
In the 47-second video, the agent can be seen walking around Good’s maroon Honda Pilot, which is in the middle of the street blocking traffic.—
-
The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension accuses the FBI of blocking it from accessing evidence in the investigation.—
Cite this Entry
“Stalling.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stalling. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share